


In the Nick of Time

by iStandalone



Series: Drabbles - EMIYA’s original timeline AU [4]
Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night - All Media Types, Nasuverse - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Romance, Chaldea Security Organization, F/M, Non-Linear Narrative, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parallel Universe, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:33:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 26,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27436630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iStandalone/pseuds/iStandalone
Summary: A familiar face appeared at Chaldea in a need of help to fix her own timeline and keep everything back in its place. Though, this time it was only her, and her alone.
Relationships: Heroic Spirit EMIYA | Archer/Tohsaka Rin
Series: Drabbles - EMIYA’s original timeline AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1903954
Comments: 25
Kudos: 114





	1. Prologue : The Odds in Ordinary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A prologue in which everything was turned upside down.  
> A show time for some servant characters.  
> A showdown for some certain people who have to face their past and the futures.

**Prologue**

**The odds in Ordinary**

  
It was just a regular day in one of the practice rooms of Chaldea organization when a strange gigantic magic circle appeared on the floor.

Emiya only started sparring with Arjuna that barely finished materializing his bow for mere seconds when an unexpected intruder made their appearance. The foggy atmosphere slowly dissolved as the trespasser’s figure was revealed magnificently on the complicated-looking golden circle. Judging by the shape, one can tell that was a woman.

Body covered in blood, the strange woman was dressed in casual clothes with black turtleneck matching the crimson long coat, wearing a dark tight leather mini skirt, black leggings and boots. Her gaze looked hazy for a second, adjusting to the new environment that they were brought in.

Within a blink of an eye, Emiya quickly positioned himself before his master. All the servants did the same, and the next minute there came an attack from the anonymous intruder.

His master flinched at the sudden light flash of explosion, coughing aggressively because of the smoke. Fortunately, Emiya managed to project single petal of Rho Aias in time to save everyone.

“Don’t move, or else I will blow up this whole room with another attack.”

Emiya stopped, inclined his head at the awfully familiar threatening voice.

“You...” He began to take a step forward.

A crimson blast was threw to his way, he brought up Kanshou and Bakuya to defend, a loud clash had mobilized the attack into an empty area beside himself, magical explosion took place right behind him. He retreated, dodging an explosive wave by not much strength taken knowing it was meant only for a threat, not for kill.

“I said don’t move!”

All servants reacted in instinct as they prepared themselves for the upcoming attacks, determined to protect their master. Emiya raised a hand, making them all halted in place. He took a breath of air, and nodded, dematerialized his swords signaling others to do the same.

Only few servants were present, the practice wasn’t on the schedule so there were only ones who felt like letting off some stream that has been practicing and sparring. But the master was right beside them. _Fujimaru Ritsuka_ was also there. That’s why they can’t do anything that might cause harms to their master. Everyone gradually obliged, dismantling all the weapons and spells.

Emiya, no, Everyone stared hard at the woman. All had disarmed. She waited for a moment before cautiously approaching. Emiya looked straight at the figure before him. Her scarlet long hair was burning up like it made out of flame with the most beautiful shade of red. Her face looked delicate, small frame with big eyes like a porcelain doll but elegant and mature, seemingly not as much easy to break like an actual one, strangely, she somehow looked like someone that he knew, but didn’t quite remember.

She took a moment to collect her composure while walking up their way, straightened herself and stopped at her feet, scanned the area with sharp glowing eyes. Then, she finally found herself defenseless in the middle of servants, _lots of servants actually,_ and gaspedmutely.

“What the…” She shut her mouth close, suddenly felt like it all had been a long dream. She stayed motionless for full ten seconds. They weren’t just some human army or a bunch of magus like she was used to, but heroic spirits with actual forms. Summoned in several classes.

Surrounded by multiple expressions and stares from them, she finally accepted that this wasn’t a dream. But still, there’s no way in hell she’d encounter this amount of servants in one place.

_Even in a Holy grail war, there cannot be th_ _is_ _much,_ the lady thought. Her expression was one that could be read as a computer trying to calculate the possibilities of math problem solutions, the gears inside her head clacked in procession.

“How on earth is this happening? It can’t be—” She hissed, a sharp pain shot through her body like an arrow when she tried to move. _That one hell of a Sensei... he definitely needs to pay for what he did when I get back!_ Knowing that said person wasn’t here, she aggressively swore. “That... Bastard!” 

“Shouldn’t we eliminate her or something? She is an intruder.” Someone asked, tired of waiting for the situation to unfold itself.

Alerted by that, the scarlet woman readied herself in a fighting gesture. She’s still tired, really tired, but if things really came down to it, she can manage to do another round.

She cloaked out a sound. “Tell me, who are you guys?”

“That’s our question, woman.” This time Emiya could tell it was Odysseus by a deep tone that belonged to a king.

“Answer me right now…” Her voice was cut off, eyes hidden behind the shadow of her bangs moved quickly and focused tentatively on Ritsuka.

“She aims our master, Emiya.” Odysseus warned, angled his head deliberately to the side. “We have to act quick, or else.”

Emiya narrowed down his eyes. “I know,”

Karna slowly trudged to the front. Interrupted them both.

“I don’t know about you and your plan, but I’m certainly not going to just stand here all day and do nothing.” He casted a fire spell on his hands. “Anyhow, I’ll go first.”

“Wait, Karna—” Ritsuka called at his servant.

The fire balls beamed immediately to their target, the woman flipped her hands, arms straightened as she received the burning flame into the green barrier she made up. She cluck her tongue, as to curse over the fact that the opponents refused to cooperate with her deal. Karna turned his body toward the enemy as his lance was now materialized in his hand, readied to destroy any beings that stand in its way.

“As you wish,” The woman muttered, sharp eyes pierced through the servant in Lancer class with murderous pressure. “No more talking.”

“This is bad, we have to stop them.” Even if it’s not for Ritsuka, the red archer already knew that they can’t let the situation be handled roughly like this. At this rates, they will no longer be able to find out why this woman came into Chaldea without any clearly pronounced permission. They would have fought each other until one’s death.

“Can you try force Karna back?” Emiya asked.

Ritsuka looked up above as the two of opposite sides has floated, dueling in the air like two red lights flying clashed against the other. He sighed a little. Face full of worry.

“I can, but in the meantime he will be forced to freeze in place. I don’t want him to be injured.”

“Which means… we will have to momentarily stop the woman by distracting her from him.” Emiya nodded, patting on his master’s shoulder. “I’ll go, you stay here and wait for the perfect opportunity.”

“Be careful, Emiya.” Ritsuka said. “I can sense that she’s just a human, but there’s something off about her that I can’t really tell…”

“No magus can be called as an ordinary people, Master.” He simply turned, facing the pair that still fought in an intermediating level with runes and spells wearing an unreadable expression. “That one you should learn best, and thus, we never underestimate them.”

His master met his gaze in a mere second with questioning look before Emiya hopped out into the battlefield.

“It’s unnecessary for you to join in, I can handle this one just fine.” Karna shouted while wielding his lance to disperse some type of curses his enemy projected. He switched the hand holding the lance, determined to deliver a finishing blow. His body bent down to land a hit on the walls she was standing on. An sword-alike arrow was shot to bind his hand, as it’s landed perfectly pinning his arm, and slowing down his movements. He cursed. “What are you—”

“Master wants her alive, you need to let me handle this.” Emiya said, his bow disappeared as the twin blades already in his hands. “You can’t disobey his will. Take your leave, Karna.”

“But…”

“I said no more talking.” The woman in red intervened with a hushed voice. Projectile magic stones blew up in between where they both have stood. Emiya winced at the small wounds that he got by her lated blast around his torso, calling a bleeding blood as his skin being cut by several pieces of those colorful stones. “That one should be clear by the time you decided to shoot those fireballs my way!”

Karna gritted his teeth. “You..!”

He squinted as he threw the metallic spear to the air at the same time the woman projected the new stones. Emiya sent each of his blades to either side of them, going in between while Ritsuka gasped the air as he tried to recall him for the reckless move he attempted.

“Move away, now!” Emiya said

“Are you for real—” Karna hissed.

“Tsk!” The woman he assumed a magus was drove away in order to protect herself from an unpredictable indirect attack coming by the direction of the silver haired bowman. She cursed as she’s forced to retreat in the middle of the fight. “What are you?!”

Emiya traced a Bakuya in his hand, going for a close combat as he aimed to defeat her that way. The woman switched tactics to one that suitable for the man’s strategy. She dismantled her magics, reinforced the strength of her limbs and legs as she came straight in high speed to his surroundings. Any other mages would say this was a complete suicide. Going after a servant without anything in protection. But the dead glare in her eyes told him otherwise. This woman was plotting something, and he had to see through it before he made another move.

Emiya saw nothing wrong in a quick glimpse of his foresight, the heroic spirit looked up at her in confusion, then, he noticed it. A moment before, he thought what she was doing is a disuse of her runes, but in fact, she was…

Emiya looked down at his legs, the trap was set in stones. A white light washed over his vision as he was forced to shut his eyes, brutal force from a binding spell held him in place, laying on all fours. He heard a shout behind his way, everything was blanked as he was trying to command an action from his body, his mind ordered him to act. But out of all the things he could do to get away off this. Emiya grinned, smiling in a nostalgic feeling.

This one never gets old, huh? How blunt of her, to pull this trick against him who was once the person’s witnessing it by his own eyes. He had to praise her for the boldness, despite having a ride-or-die situation, she was ready to risk it all with this final attack in which one wrong move could be the death of her, and not her enemy.

“You are unbelievable…” He murmured, clearly being impressed. “As expected of—”

He stopped.

_What was the name again?_

The bowman blinked, utterly surprised as he found himself trying to recall a memory within the depths of despair and false hope. The feeling in which he harbored, and endured for such a long time that it was engraved within his soul. However, he could not remember what or who it is belonged to.

Emiya froze, his heart was pumping with adrenaline and the prana his master providing. His eyes locked with the enemy’s, he felt hopeless for his inability to recognize her and yet, with the face of his enemy getting closer to his. He demanded his heart for an answer.

The name…

The name..!

He finally said it aloud.

“As expected of you, ▇▇▇.”

The woman’s eyes widened. As she paused and lost in her tracks, the cursed spell was redirected to an area beside where he stood. Grey smoke consumed and clouded all over the field. As Emiya finally regained his sanity and strength. He stared at his opponent, golden glittery from previous magic spell mingling in the air. The red haired magus froze in place, her last attack bored a big hole on the floor but it did no damage to her target.

Emiya saw Ritsuka coming by his side to ask if he was okay. Everyone then moved in fluid to prevent the intruder and Karna from any further attacks on both sides. Karna was long gone by the command spell, and among all the mess, the lady in red just stood there without blinking. Someone went behind her as she was under a hypnotic spell from some casters who just got here on emergency alert, having her bonded in a proficient-made mage cage. And at that moment, everything in her mind has been bleached into a black space of limbo.

The magus fell into sleep, as her body demanding a rest. Crimson locks slowly turned into a darker shade, eyes flew shut when someone came in and other was taking her away out of the room.

+++++

“This won’t do, she casted a protection over her body. We can’t use any methods to clarify her identity, nor check the condition of her body.”

A talking voice woke the woman in question up from an assumingely deep unconsciousness. She didn’t open her eyes on two positions, one for the lack of energy as if a fight came up involuntarily, she got nothing to go against them. And two, for purposely eavesdropping on these strangers’ conversation, as she can gather their information easier in this state.

“But fortunately, the blood stains on her clothes aren’t from her own. There must be someone who was fighting against her before she came here.” A man said, this voice belonged to the one who first woke her up.

“Ne, Romani,” There came a new voice, lighter, a woman. “Is it really alright to take her in? Doesn’t this mean she has confronted someone who wished for her death? If you take it into account, we really shouldn’t…”

“We can’t really make an assumption on that matter, Da Vinci.”

_Da Vinci? As in Da Vinci, one of the greatest painters of all time?_

“I think I saw her eyelids moved just now, Doctor.” A younger female voice this time. “Maybe she’s already awake.”

“You take Fujimaru-kun outside. We’ll take care of this.”

She heard several footsteps echoing further away. Then a _whoops_ sound of automatic doors shut closed. Then, the woman slowly opened her eyes.

Finally waking up in both physical and mental, she felt more tired and worn out than she ever been, chests heaving up and down. She could tell she had ran out of Mana. Merely breathing in and out right now feels almost like countless of painful needles piecing through her body. She shifted herself up, looking at two strangers who stood behind a glass separating between the room she was sleeping in and the room they’re in.

She looked up at the speaker stand that located beside the bed. Then, she weakly asked.

“Where am I?”

“Welcome to Chaldea Organization, Miss…” He waited for her to fill in the gap.

“There’s no need to tell you my name. When the one who asked didn’t even tell theirs.” She narrowed her eyes.

“Oh, sorry,” The voice was sincerely apologetic and slightly stuttering as the owner having a hard time to respond in an instance. “Director of Chaldea Security Organization, my name is—”

“Moving on, ‘Chaldea Organization’ you said.” The woman raised an eyebrow, cutting him off. She already heard a name or two, and wasn’t bothered enough to have him doing another round of introduction. Her head was pounding in pains, but the place’s name did ring a bell within her brain. “Did you mean… the _Chaldea_ as a group of researchers with Rayshift theory?”

“Yes, that’s us.” He replied, his voice sounded interested. “So you heard about us? From where?”

“So you’re telling me that the theory is proven to be true?” She uttered in a bit of surprise.

“Hmm,” The other female voice came in. “Why do you think so?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I almost died by two out of around twenty servants in that white room of yours. Even a Holy Grail War can’t provide that much.”

“That means you have participated in a Holy Grail War, correct?” The woman’s voice confirmed a piece of information that slipped out her mouth.

The magus admitted in a groan, realized she was letting her guard down by an exchange of data. “Yes, now, you can narrow down your choices.”

“We have to say that we are not here to force yourself into doing anything that goes against your own will.” The man was back to the talk. “If you really want to know about our situation, you will have to explain yours. So we can figure things out together, simple as that.”

“Easy to say, you’re not the one who’s locked up in a room without doors.” The woman started to look around as she tried standing, stepping out of the bed.

“The door does exist. And it will be opened immediately if you can help us by clarifying yourself.”

“If you’re really the same Chaldea that was introduced and planned by Lord Marisbury’s intention, you will have to know about Fifth magic.”

“You mean the _Magical Blue_ ,” The sound was cut off as to leave the conversation and for discussion in private. Then, the man was again back on the mic. “Miss, if you really are the person we think you are…”

“Oh, no, definitely not. I’m not her.” She blinked, and denied quickly as she was wandering by the walls, the woman sighed in a hopeless manner. “Although I got that a lot when I was taken in. But no, I ain’t the fifth magician herself.”

“…I see.”

“But—” The woman stopped at her feet, face looking up as her hand touched a cold wall of the room. Eyes searching. “I will take that acknowledgement as you happened to worth my trust. I have decided to tell you guys what I know…”

The other end was abruptly surrounded by high-pitched noises.

_“Only_ if you let me out of this room.” She added, cutting them off, transparent eyes stared across the other room. As everything felt back in silence, she secretly took a deep breath, feeling the underlying fear in her chests easing away at the thought that these people could be of help, and not really the opposite side as she first expected. She said with a clear voice. “Deal?”

A thickly pressured atmosphere was hung between her and the other side.

Then…

“Deal.” The man replied in a soft tone, sounding more relieved than the one who was locked up in a room actually felt. “Though, only you won’t allow to use any magic or tricks on us without permissions.” He said wearily.

“Your condition have been automatically approved,” The magus shrugged, raising both of her hand to show her sincerity. Smiling weakly with a carefree attitude. “Even if I wanted to, I don’t have any mana left to do that. To be honest, just lifting one finger makes me feel pain beyond words could describe here, and that’s not a lie.”

“Don’t worry, we will have you sent to the best hospitality we have.”

“That’s a relief, and a nice shower would be appreciated.”

“Oh, that, too.” A female voice responded in kind. And a _beep_ sound was heard from the other end of the speaker. “We will need to talk about how long you’re going to stay here as well, so we can provide you some clean clothes to use…”

The door was opened, as the long haired magus was stepping out. She began to stretch her arms a bit in a least painful way possible and yawn as she wasn’t really fully recovered yet.

“That’s no need, we can discuss them later. After you tell me about this organization, and I tell you my side of story.” She replied with her eyes looked down. Her boots were dirty and her smell was certainly not to her preference.

The female magus looked up. Then, she fully focused on the people she had been talking to just a minute ago.

The first person who came into the view was a woman who dressed colorfully in a costume that reminded her of a magic circus in western cartoons. And the bright color haired man that sat on an armchair who was supposedly talking to her when she was awake, wearing a white lab coat with mint uniform underneath.

“So which one of you is Da Vinci?” The magus asked out of curiosity.

The woman blinked in surprise, and she giggled as she stepped forward, introducing herself. “That’s me. You heard us talking, huh?” She smiled brightly. “So you woke up long ago to spy on us? Haha, this girl is marvelous, isn’t she?”

“I’m not a girl,” The woman retorted in displeased, not wanting to be treated like a little child. “And why is it that Da Vinci _is_ a girl?”

“Well, long story short.” Da Vinci beamed her signature smile. “I am simply one, I guess I like this version of me best. That’s why.”

“That makes you… Romani?” She cocked her head to a side, what a weird name for a normal looking guy. “You’re the head here, and also... a doctor? Or a magus?”

“He is a lot of things—” Da Vinci explained before got interrupted by a third person.

“Since they let you out, why don’t you explain yourself first? You know, you seem to value manners over necessity just a moment ago.”

The magus turned as she’s trying to find the source of the sound.

Her eyes moved to a corner of the room they’re in. And she found a tall man who wasn’t on the mic talking to her like the other two standing there with his arms crossed. The magus tilted her chin up, as she recalled that he was a heroic spirit she encountered and fought with only moments ago.

Something in the way this man gestured himself was ticking her off. But she remained silent as she herself didn’t find it interesting enough to pick a fight with him in this defenseless state.

“I apologize, I got a little too excited on the new environment.” The woman tugged her long raven hair behind her ear as she inclined her head in an awkward silence.

“It’s fine…” Romani laughed dryly as he retreated to the back, exchanging glances between the woman and the bowman. He whispered to the famous Italian painter. “What’s happening here?”

“I don’t know, you ask him.” She observed, whispering back behind her cup of coffee in a low voice.

The man whose face hidden in a shade raised an eyebrow. “So?”

Emiya stared quietly at the room’s attention. Making the magus looked away in nervous. Oddly, she felt like she was some prisoner that just being freed and still have to be grounded within his rules just by hearing his voice. It’s almost like she was his servant and he was her master, holding three command spells that can overpower her with every words he said.  
  


She shook her head, thinking.

_Cut it out,_ _this is not the time to be conscious about superiority. I have to seek for their support, not to start another fight._

“L...Let me introduce myself,” She stuttered before coughed lightly in her fist, cheek tinted pink in embarrassment. Then, the woman wore a small smile in greeting manner, facing toward the head of the place she had intruded in. She straightened herself, wearing her friendly face as she widened her smile. Aquamarine eyes shone a glimpse of determination with her hand brought up in front of Romani, shoulders rose elegantly in confidence as well as the regained composure.

Emiya shifted his weight uncomfortably, hooded eyes stared down at the familiar looking face as he tried to find the answer to this longing inside his chest.

The long haired woman grabbed Chaldea’s director’s hand, shaking it as she introduced herself, at that moment, everything inside his head was as clear as blue sky in sunlight.

“My name is Tohsaka Rin. And if everything you said was true, I believe that I was sent here by time traveling from London, England, in 2014. I hope we can work things out in my time of staying here.”

…and with that, the heroic spirit EMIYA, the counter guardian’s worst nightmare has finally made _its return_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so close to change the prologue title into “Prologue: I found out today that Da Vinci has been a girl all along?!” But god helped me saving my cracked ass for another time and not ruin the atmosphere of this series by some fgo references joke.
> 
> It came out real short, as I have decided on a whim whether there should be a prologue before entering the real deal of plot-lines. And as it turned out, I think there should, so I split the first chapter in three pieces. Considering I was rearranging the length of each chapter and found it was better that way.
> 
> Comment down below if you have any opinion about this story. I’m sorry that things has to be told backwards and it may confuse a lot of people who read this, including other drabbles. (Hell, I myself was often confused by them as well. I’ve been writing this timeline for almost half a year now, that’s why its order kinda all jumbled up from a careless lazy airhead as myself. I have to apologize.) but I guess it’s best to do it this way? We’ll see soon enough as the story goes.
> 
> Hope y’all have a nice day.  
> Then, Until next time.


	2. Reds and Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone in a mess, so it seems.

**Chapter 1**

**Reds and Blues**

He always took a liking to those blue colored shades.

Navy blue was his favorite, clear, plain, straightforward, but it’s also too simple. He got asked that a lot when he wore it too often. Then, he tried to change for a darker tone, like purple, but it was also too gloomy for a child, so he asked his only guardian.

_Hmm, How about baby blue?_

The old man said, his finger pointed at the fabric from one of his yukatas. The boy shook his head in reply.

_Then, maybe… this aqua tone?_

Another female voice kindly suggested, her face was all a blur. But he remembered her pony tail and the extremely energetic smile quite well.

_I… I don’t know._

Standing in front of aquamarine color in the ocean painting of that t-shirt, he did not know what to do. He stared at it doubtfully, feeling a knot formed slowly in his small stomach.

He was nine at that time.

He remembered being afraid of that painting, it might have something to do with the way it was portrayed, or some other reasons that he couldn’t actually pinpoint. But the color, _that color_ , it was… drawing him in. Like a Tornado. Or an unknown creature that was looking for a prey, in which within this statement, _him._

The choices were to run or to hide. No kids could really confront it. Otherwise those blues prismatic will be eating them in, like a big wave full of emotions and they would drown, whether in fascination or in pain, quietly being dived into that endless pit of ocean. Deep, dark, cold, but oddly beautiful.

_Such a strange color_.

That was his thought when he first saw it.

There was a girl whose arrival has been the hot topic when he became a first-year in High School. He didn’t care enough to check anything out, this happens every now and then since the youths were so full of colors and spring season. Though, strangely, _she_ happened to appear before him even he wasn’t really interested in the rumors. In that elegant atmosphere, the girl walked by from his left to his right. And as he has laid his eyes on her, he knew right away that she was the one.

Raven hair in pigtails, along with white, shiny skin and slenderness. Her crystal eyes held that strange color within them. Reflecting lights perfectly as she looked straight to the front, unwavering. Making him a bit curious into what its aim pointed toward to.

After that incident, he made out a habit of unconsciously searching for her. Within the crowd, he always caught that aquamarine color first out of all things.

The boy hadn’t realized, that in the fifth time or the sixth. He wasn’t really searching for that color any more, instead, he had been searching for _her_.

As he himself didn’t notice that he had been doing so, the girl was always able to catch those admirers’ glances that threw her way, including ones of his curiosity too.

The girl reflexively stared back in silence, as he brought his gaze back and walked away. Hearing the thundering sound rang loudly inside his chest, alarming.

The girl tilted her head listlessly. Watching the back of the auburn haired, she decided to let him go, made a mental note on finding out his name later.

While he was one who’s good at taking a peek in secret, the girl was doing a great job of hiding her awareness. Interested in what way this would be heading to, unbeknownst to the boy.

  
  


Emiya has come to his sense when a clacking sound of selamic cup rang loudly. He looked up, seeing Da Vinci launched to the long haired magus in excitement as she shot her through with questions one by one. The man’s watching two womans having a conversation in silence, still deep in his own thoughts.

The magus smiled wryly as she unintentionally turned and met his dulled, daydreaming grays in a quick glance before she immediately went back to answering the famous Italian painter who turned out to be a girl. He could see that her expression was masked as she continued talking. Her eyes were attentive, slightly observant. Prepared for a change of events.

Lookig at her from the dark corner, he couldn’t help but noticed several changes of this version of her compared to ones that he has started to remember from his recovering memories. It is no wonder why he didn’t recognize her at first. She has grown up, and by grown up, he meant _far, far a lot._

The magus was now around her late 20’s. She definitely got taller, her legs looked more toned and firm. Her hair has now hit her thighs, as it’s let losely lingering her waist without her updo pigtails. Very much like the time they went to Clock Tower together. She wore similar style plain clothes like back then, but with darker shades and her current red was crimson. Making herself all the more matured, sophisticated and dignified, like a ruler.

She was a beautiful woman.

That fact was hardly arguable, with the symmetrical features and that almost-arrogant, elegant alluring. He couldn’t deny it like it was otherwise in any other terms.

And most certainly, her eyes, the biggest change of them all, they were deep, sharp, more hardened, as they should be. Considering a magus wasn’t really one who would walk down a happy path in life, and the light in her eyes was now slightly dulled, though, it was still there. Her blue remained unfazed, the same aquamarine.

When they had fought each other in that room, he doubted whether that was the first time he saw this transparent color. It reminded him of some power that held him over the edge, and it also nearly made him going out of his control. Like a blue storm thundering in darkness.

The heroic spirit didn’t know that he practically _luxuriated_ in the sight before him until he noticed the uncomfortable shift she made upon witnessing his too long, studying gaze.

He brought his gaze back. Meanwhile she got distracted by the famous painter, once again.

“May I call you ‘Rin’, Miss Tohsaka?” Da Vinci clasped her hands, asking politely.

She softened her gaze. The vivid color in her eyes varied to much gentle tone.

“Of course, you may.”

_It changed, like hot and cold._

The one he used to was not that empty smiling, faking polite gaze. But one which made to target on something that stands in her way, a pair of eyes that valiantly piece through anything its aim at.

Emiya knew he has seen it somewhere, back in the time he’s still wandering around the world, with no destination in mind. And finally, the heroic spirit has now remembered. The name that got stuck on the tip of his tongue,

_Tohsaka Rin._

The woman who was once his classmate, his ally in war, his magic teacher, his master, even _his secret savior._

_Heaven would be joking if they thought sending her here was a good choice to help anyone. Well, it might be. But definitely not to him._

Emiya frowned due to the odds in this supposedly ordinary scene. Time traveling is not something out of normalcy in Chaldea. In fact, it was pretty common. They jumped into singularity after singularity to help humanity in their verge of extinction. But this case has been on completely another story as the one who sent Rin here was still unknown. And she wasn’t even traveling through CHALDEAS. Which means that someone might not predict the possibility of sending her here or that they weren’t exactly sure about the capabilities of this organization yet.

Among all of things, one that he found most unusual was that, Rin didn’t seem to know who he was.

As the heroic spirit continued to be an observer, the magus was consciously avoiding him and paid little to least attention to him, pretending she wasn’t aware of his existence as much as possible.

In fact… Being stared by him made Rin felt ill all over the place.

Emiya considered the cause of her action. Rin hasn’t laid her eyes on him for personal intentions since she appeared here in Chaldea, not even once. He didn’t want her to purposely pay attention on him or affectionately pull him in for a hug, but this kind of treatment seems a little bit off. The bowman stepped out of the corner, his arms uncrossed.

“So you’re saying, that you came from London in 2014?” He said abruptly, startled both women in the room and fully joining in their conversation.

And that’s the first time Rin turned to face him entirely, now using her aqua orbs, with arms crossed, mirroring the man himself. Her nose crunched, looking at him pointedly.

_What was he doing here in the first place?_

“For the third time,” she sighed, obviously annoyed by the question. “Yes.”

“From the Clock Tower, huh?”

“...how do you know?” Rin looked at him more carefully now.

“That’s because...”

_I know you, I went there with you. Don’t you remember?_

He fell silent. Unable to continue his speech. Emiya was unsure whether it is a good idea to reveal his identity to this Rin if she hasn’t met him in the Counter Guardian form yet. For all things worth, Rin could be playing with him, pretending to be an indifferent stranger. Who knows? The woman is known for her love-to-tease personality.

But if that’s really the case, he can’t surely tell. Rin will always be the best at hiding her inner emotions, along with those devilish plans she has inside her head.

“Well, if I were you, I could’ve guessed that by now. With all the hints I gave out, and other stuffs.” She said, keeping her indifference toward him as she nodded to the other two. “Yes, I literally transported here from Clock Tower in London. Though, I wasn’t really sure whether I’m supposed to be here, intentionally. But it seems like the destination code has been put very carefully by an expert, so this might be it.” She explained, facing toward Romani. “Are we going to continue the talk in this room or..?”

“Yeah, if you’re okay with that.”

“Then, it would be best to minimize the amount of people who will be involved.” She glared to the side, specifically hinting at the bowman who’s still standing tall next to the entrance.

Emiya shrugged, his feet brought past the door.

“I will be preparing dinner. If you need me, you can find me later in the cafeteria.” He said, mostly to Romani and the painter.

Rin blinked, as that wide back of silver haired servant’s was slowly out of the sight. She laughed in amusement with her body laidback onto the center console next to Da Vinci. “You guys really made a servant out of _servant_ ”

“It can’t be helped when he loves what he does.” The director answered wearing his same weary smile. “Now, you said that you traveled here from a gate in Clock Tower?”

She slowly shook her head. “To be specific, there wasn’t any gate that bring me here but the copy of sort from the Fifth Magic blueprint that my teacher had been secretly building in his lab.”

“Your teacher?” Da Vinci cocked her brow.

“…” Rin paused as she was weighing her own options. Then, she finally said. “My teacher is Professor Waver Velvet, known as Lord El-Melloi II.”

“Eh..!” The other two exclaimed in unison.

“You know him?” She uttered in surprise.

“Um, you could say that he was summoned here as a pseudo-servant. And quite a special one at that.”

“Pseudo-servant?! That bland old ma…” She stopped herself for going any further, swallowed the words down and switched to her business tone. “Is he here right now? Can I talk to him?”

“I’d really like you two to meet, but…” Romani sent an unsettling gaze to the servant beside him.

“He went off for a mission in North Europa.” Da Vinci said. “You may have to wait for a couple of days before he comes back.”

“A couple of days, hmm...” Rin cooed, snapping her fingers. “Then, allow me to change a bit of our deal.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll be waiting for his arrival, and in the meantime, there will be no exchange of any further information from both sides beside ones that we already told. Until then, I may ask you to cooperate with the common accommodation. Though, there’s no need about any sorts of medical examination, to be specific, for now.”

“But you said you’re in need of—” The famous painter blinked.

“I used to it, I’ll manage.” Rin replied bluntly. “It’s just a few days, after all.”

“I don’t get the reason behind this new arrangement.” Da Vinci shook her head.

“It’s a personal matter,” She looked away briefly, and waited for a moment before continued. “Anyway, if you guys could really get Sens... I mean, Waver Velvet here, I’d be gladly to tell you the rest. So first, bring him to me. I need to discuss something, real quick.” She added. “That’s the new deal. No more questions for now, ended up story.”

Everyone in the room fell silent once again. Rin pushed herself up from the controllers, and glared at them with the light that translates into no compromise.

“Well,” Rin tilted her chin. Baring her hands. “Give me the answer, yes or YES?”

Romani smiled wryly.

“...yes, ma’am.”

+++++

“What was up with that woman?”

EMIYA pretended to miss _that_ as he added some meat cut in cubes inside the steaming pot. His eyes concentrated, his ears hearing it all but not quite sure he was interested into doing anything with the hot potato of the moment. Turning his back to the entire floor area.

The Chaldea cafeteria was now exceptionally crowded by the news that there’s an intruder invading inside as Romani, the director of the place itself, bringing her in. Intended to investigate the case without letting any further instruction to the servants, including their master, Fujimaru Ritsuka. Leaving the situation quite chaotic compared to it usually is.

“Yer were in there with ‘em, weren’t ya, Emiya?” Ashwatthama asked for the second time.

The white haired archer was intentionally busying himself with stew in the pot, and while trying his best not to involve himself into the conversation knowing that eventually someone will do it for him, he knew this was where he should give in.

He sighed a little, turning toward the other, his hand still holding the stainless dipper.

“If you’re so curious, why don’t you go and ask that to the director himself?” Emiya replied briefly, implying the intention of not letting any piece of information fled about.

“Even Master isn’t allow to know anything yet, so why would I bother asking?” He retorted aloud.

“That, **exactly**.” The bowman pointed a spoon at the other, forcing down the urge to grin sarcastically and instead, shaking his head.

Ashwatthama flopped out from the table he had been sitting at with other heroic spirits to hunch over the bar. His red hair flew through the sudden movement.

“But you certainly know somethin’ em’ don’t, ain’t ya?”

Emiya cracked open the seasonings.

“What makes you think so, if I may ask?” He said, keeping his indifferent tone.

“You’ve been acting strange,” Karna, who was drinking some tea over the table, spoke up in his calm, stern voice. “In my defense, whatever happened between you and that mage isn’t something I wish to interfere. But, weren’t you talking to her? While we were fighting, I mean.”

The red haired archer nodded swiftly, trying so much to squeeze a thing out of the famous former-nameless servant. “As everyone could see, yer said somethin’ to her in that last attack. And her moves were halted as if she’s forced aback… what did yer two talk about anyway?”

Emiya looked at the boiling stew, then, he took a brief glance at Karna.

The lancer seemingly dismissed the topic in an instant as he didn’t make eye contact with him.

But, Ashwatthama figured otherwise.

“Hey, don’t tell me you two—”

“Emiya,”

A familiar sound approached in a way that was so perfectly performed on time.

He cleaned his hands shortly in the sink before he walked out the kitchen zone. “Yes, master?”

A boy in uniform with young spirit and clear, blue eyes popped up behind the automatic doors, hand waving.

“We need you for a minute, could you come?”

Emiya raised an eyebrow in confusion, but recovered quickly. “Yeah, I’ll put the stove off and be right after you.”

“Okay, then.”

Watching the two left the scene, those stares and secret exchange of glance were folded back as Chaldea gossipers in the cafeteria area began to babble over their observations.

“This is so weird, first, there was an intruder. But we weren’t even permitted to attack, and now, this.”

“It never happened before, intruders in the middle of activating security system. And that, to speak, she also came alone.”

“Is it possible that she is a servant summoned by accident?”

“Say, I just noticed one thing.” Arjuna who had been silent for a whole time rubbed his fingers against his chin. Catching others’ attention that eating nearby. “That woman looked a lot like our master, didn’t she?”

  
  


+++++

“You can use this room, uh, it’s just a simple shower with not much space inside but it’s very clean, barely used. And if you want, you can use a public bath at the end of this hallway, Miss…”

“Rin is fine,” The magus smiled, offering to her imperative guide generously. “And you don’t have to treat me like a proper guest, after all the things that happened we’re still considered not as much the same side.”

The short haired girl with glasses bored her lilacs into the floor at her feet, feeling suddenly conscious by the friendly way her guest used to lighten up the atmosphere, easily succeeded in easing away the tension of her shoulders.

Mash Kyreilight, the one and only demi-servant in Chaldea was just now ordered to be in charge in taking care of this unusual visitant. She brought the crimson magus into her temporarily white guest room that only included a single bed and few more cabinets with a shower inside. Pretty much the same as the rest of the servants’ rooms.

“To be fair, you’d rather treat me like an unofficial enemy. As you are one of the witnesses, I did break into you guys’ territory without permission.” Rin added jokingly while observing the options in the room. Her hands crossing behind her worn coat.

“That’s not it, we shouldn’t really be having this conversation. You were sent here involuntarily, even possibly _accidentally_.” The demi-servant shook her head, bewildered by an unfamiliar tease. Trying to give Rin the benefit of the doubt. “And you were wounded, surrounding by a lot of magical creatures such like servants. Anyone would have see as fit to react the way you did.” _Though, maybe less outrageous._

Rin grinned in amused. “So now, I am to play the role of a street cat cornered by strangers?”

Mash blushed at the way her speech was interpreted.

“Please don’t be like that, Miss—R… Rin-san.” She’s quick enough to correct herself.

The magus did stop at the call. Grim shade flashed across her features as she walked past the demi-servant to the other side of the room.

“Rin-san?” Mash inclined her head to the now silent interlocutor.

“Oh, nothing. It’s just… It’s been awhile having somebody called me that.” The magus made a faint smile. “I’d appreciate it if you drop the honorific.”

“Eh? But that would be rude…”

“They said you’re a demi-servant, is that true?” Rin suddenly changed her mood, bringing up a new topic as she strolled to sit on the bed. Her voice’s uplifting, fingers playing with the hem of her skirt.

“Oh, yes, that’s no mistaken.”

“Did they—did they force you into it?”

And this time was the girl’s turn to turn silent.

“Sorry, must be a horrible choice to start some light conversations, my bad.” Rin said apologetically, recognized that emotional wavering in lilac pupils as she herself saw it in the mirror for countless of time when she’s alone. “Thank you for accompanying me, you can now leave the clothes and let me handle the rest on my own.”

“Oh, yes, pardon me.” Mash shook herself off from her own reverie. “But are you sure you don’t want to go to the medical department? I can assure you that we have a lot of great doctors to assist you.”

“There’s no need, at very least, _for now._ ” Rin returned, arm lifted as she stood up and patted on the other’s head with a small smile on her lips. “Thanks by the way, Mash. You are a sweet girl.”

The demi-servant froze in place, having such a sentimental gesture done by the former offensive magus who claimed herself as an enemy had her puzzled in a daze stage. As Rin shifted to grab the pile of clothes from her arms, studying the fabrics.

“…a mini-skirt? You guys sure kept your own taste for a modern aged organization. Can’t I have some pants?”

“But Rin, you’re wearing a mini-skirt even now…” Mash said in confusion.

“These are all I got left in my workshop since I had been running away—”

“You were on a run?” Mash tilted her head, exclaimed.

“Hmn,” Rin squinted, padding to the restroom, waving her hand. “no more sneaks for further information.”

The demi-servant smiled stiffly. “It wasn’t really on intention…” She then added. “Oh! Wait, I’ll bring you the pants, Rin-san.”

A quiet sound echoed back from inside the shower as the girl with lilacs left the room to do the task, unable to hear.

“…I said to quit the formalities.”

That consistency on something that was unnecessary reminded Rin of one of her old classmates, Saegusa.

_They did look alike, no wonder I felt a bit nostalgic._

Rin chuckled at her own random thought as she slowed down her trembling breaths, closing her eyes. The smile’s gradually disappeared as she let her body leaned against a cold surface of the wall, wobbled limbs caused by lack of strength slowly moved to take off the clothes.

Feeling the tiredness has finally come back and attacked her soul and body all at once, Rin groaned at the pain. She opened the valve of water regenerator with her left hand. Let the spray of water washed over the blood and dirts off her skin. The liquid drifted down her body as it’s turned rust.

_Was it... Six? No, seven. Seven mage killers that they sent after me, not to mention that there were more on coming._

Rin stared down between her cleavage, a deep wound caused by a fatal stab through the heart was clearly visible.

The metallic surface of a dagger left in there has opened a fresh split of her skin, but no blood was coming out as the magic blade has worked itself like a lid to her heart.

An adorable parting souvenir from the Mage’s Association.

If it’s not for a little help from her former ( _former?)_ teacher, Waver Velvet, she did not know how she’d be standing here, _survived_ , and not lying on a stack with her eyes left unopened for eternity.

Rin touched the ugly wound on her chest, feeling the strangeness of not hearing anything pumping up and down her ribcages like it was used to be. But if this isn’t some kind of hell she was dwelling in, Rin was pretty sure she’s made it out alive.

“Now, what’s next?” She whispered to herself, sighing. Her face hit the hot spray from steaming shower, overwhelmed by the course of sensational incidents.

Eyes closed, she began to recall the changing point of her life that happened only weeks ago.

Several things happened during all of her years in London. But one thing that broke everything, and the cause of her mage’s life in falling apart, is that…

Tohsaka Rin had stated herself as a complete opposed side to the Mage’s Association.

That fact was still overwhelming, in every sense of definition.

If someone was to tell her this several years ago, she wouldn’t believe it. Hell, she didn’t even think about going against them the year before **that** happened.

All she thought was that she didn’t want to be brought back in their stupid politic game.

_Sitting in his usual position, a dark haired man made a small sound. His fingers holding a fountain pen, as he signed on the document._

_“Do you think you could avoid them forever?”_

_He asked, subtly resolute in the foreseen answer._

_“You’re doing it fine yourself, aren’t you?”_

_She replied, casually, working on his research that she’s been helping out with._

_“Technically, yes.” He answered after a moment, but paused in a middle of the sentence. So her blues shifted toward his grays, waiting. “But practically, no.”_

And he was damn right about it in few months later.

Frankly, thinking about Waver now has only stirred the hot rage within her stomach, he was the one who’s responsible to this whole mess, after all.

“I don’t even know if things would work out with his counterpart.” Rin sighed loudly, hitting her forehead against cement as she felt trapped cold in a hard reality.

_Half of London would fall! Don’t you understand?! Or do you simply not care?!_

Flashbacks ran through Rin’s head like a truck breaking off the red light. Some of the scenes was from before she was sent here. Her shouting at him, his listless gaze and stern face, both staring down to each other with their hands covered in blood, room all a mess, and the cluttering sound of people coming their way.

The steaming shower did help her muscles relax but it did nothing good to her mind. She couldn’t feel at ease, the time is limited. And she needs to get back as soon as she gathered some plans.

_It was great of him to send me away, otherwise I’d have been caught. But…_

But being able to flee from the trouble and managed to keep some time for herself isn’t the same as figured things out. They still got a long way to go before they could relax, and by **relax** means not letting _things_ got out of control.

She thought things through, she always did. And her teacher was no different. There gotta be something meaningful in this time traveling thing she was threw toward to without a warning beforehand.

Despite the fact, Rin cursed through her gritted teeth, noted inside her brain to take a revenge on that demonic teacher and his _so-called_ escape route that resulted her in this lost state.

If Waver Velvet supposed to send her here in order to come meet another him, find some solutions and plan tactics within the depth of endless time, that was very sensible of him to do so, she admitted. But if the connection between someone and her was what made Rin’s destination locating in here. That would be a problem.

Rin tried not to think about the latter, but still, it is a possibility.

The face of that male master she met in the white room came in a flash as she bent her neck towards the warmth of hot water, face downward.

“What’s with that boy? Could it be… no, it’s not possible.”

_Yes, it is possible._ The voice in her head retorted.

But, with whom?

No, that’s not the point. Something at the back of her mind told her that this wasn’t it. And she didn’t think someone like Waver Velvet would plan to rely on her descendants with humanity’s extinction at its cost, it’s too risky. Though, Time traveling is already risky enough.

Or she could try to go snatch out something off their base during the wait.

That… sounds _wicked_ , and not to mention, cheap. An dishonorable way for someone who already submitted a deal.

But she really had no choices, and they probably wouldn’t mind much if she does, they seem like good people. A little advantage in advance didn’t seem to hurt.

Decided that the brief plan was settled, Rin convinced herself with a patting slap in her face as she turned off the shower. Stepping out of the slippery area in fleshly new clothes except for the top.

The skirt did nothing in covering half-lower part of her bump. But the leggings managed to hide the brightness of her skin for now.

Rin sighed contently, feeling energized for keeping up her hygiene after a long while, she sat on the bed, one hand drying off her wet dark hair with a towel.

Meanwhile she hadn’t slipped in a shirt yet, as an old habit after taking a nice shower, the magus let the white cloth hung loosely on shoulders as she began to try activate some of the basics with her magic circuits.

“No good, it seems like there’s really a boundary field within this entire area.”

“Excuse me,”

The automatic door of her room opened up abruptly as her hands dismissed the surge of red energy, her head turned to the entrance with her white exposed back facing it.

“Sorry for interrupting—”

That voice was too deep to belong to a girl, such like Mash.

Rin stared deadly at the unexpected visitor, one hand covering the stabbing wound on her chest as the man in armored was also stiff in place with his hands holding a black fabric that she believed was the pants she had asked for.

It was him again, _the irritating man._

“…should I come back later?” Emiya asked, breaking the tension with his neutral tone.

“No need,” She returned shortly, didn’t seem to mind that he saw the bareness of her white skin, but more to what she had secretly been doing, which was undeniably out of their deal’s confine. “You can leave it there.”

“Don’t you need help with those…” His gaze drifted to the walls, before he finished gravelly. “Wounds of yours.”

Rin blinked, her cheek felt the rushing heat as she realized that even though she practically hid everything that could be hidden, he still could see all the marks on her exposed back. She fanned away the dripping wet dark strands over her shoulders to cover some of the skin.

She pressed her lips together, licking the lower lim curtly. “They’re just some old scars that can’t be undone.”

“…seems so.” His voice dropped an octave, rumbling as he didn’t really concentrate on the conversation itself.

“Right. Where’s Mash?” Rin tried to sound more natural, since she felt like she couldn’t do even _that_ much around this specific servant.

“Off to the operation room. Duty calls.”

“I see…”

An awkward silence.

“I’ll leave your clothes here.” He said in a hoarse voice that sounded like it was barely used. His body already turned to make his leave, his cloak swaying.

“Wait,”

The bowman stopped.

“Yes?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Could you tell me where’s the studying room? If there is one, I mean.” Her voice was genuine.

“I can show you if you want.” He sounded a bit hesitant.

The magus waved her hand. “No, thank you. I don’t want to bother you, you look busy enough.” _And I don’t want to be bothered by those dulled grays as much._

“It’s on second floor, in the basement.” The man answered, his voice trailed off as prolonged gaze still lingered at the marks on her skin. A shiver ran down her spine upon watching his grays collected each of them in a slow, attentive pace.

“Oh, there’s a basement inside this building. How lovely!” Rin clasped her hands loudly, high-pitched voice promptly faked, breaking whatever spell that captured him in the moment, clouded haziness in dulled grays snapped. “I’ll go check it out after I get dressed _properly_.”

“Please do,” The servant returned in a clipped voice, noticed some warnings in her sight and sound. He then cleared his throat, saying. “Then, I shall take my leave.”

Rin smiled blankly as she watched him walked away. The flushing heat immediately caught her the moment that door shut, cheeks tinted in rosy and hot breaths came out in a clam fashion.

The magus clasped her mouth shut in a straight line as she laid down on the mattress, groaning.

Rin didn’t even know why she felt so naked, even though her upper body was mostly covered under the towel and her wet long hair, she still felt like he could see through them, to the very rawness of her skin. When normally she should be fine being looked at in such a state, but apparently, she wasn’t.

Ever since she decided to join Clock Tower, all the humiliating things that happened in Waver’s lab and her own journeys had somehow taught her not to be provoked by her birthday suit. She even got scolded by lacking a sense of modesty from her co-workers from time to time. But why all the shy now?

The magus had nothing to be ashamed off, that heroic spirit was the one who entered her room without a knock. And yet…

Those grey eyes alone could strip the rest of her equanimity away, all he did was just… _watching_.

Rin shook her head to stop the nonsense, this isn’t the time for such a thing. An arm’s covering the light out of her face, she slowly closed her eyes.

Despite telling herself to stop thinking, the mysterious heroic spirit’s face was still at the back of her mind.

That broad back, the sight where he was walking away in that awkward moment, did tickle something in her.

“Which heroic spirit is it…” She whispered in silence.

Her mind drifted back to the time at their fight. He did say something before they went apart, but, what was it again?

The thing that did distract her wasn’t something he has said, but the way his eyes changed and the way his lips moved while saying it.

And his hair… she swore that she saw it changed color, just like hers could. But it could be one of her hallucinations, who knows? She rolled on her chest, face digging in the soft sensation of white blanket.

Though Rin knew there’s no one to blame in that final attack that completely missed except for herself , the magus was half-impressed and half-confused of the result of their astonishing encounter.

Rin was sure that with the level of his speed, one could definitely dodge her previous attack. If he had an intention to eliminate her, she would be in pieces by now. But she never heard of a famous bowman that’s also good with close combat, maybe there’s some, but none of them looked suitable with traces she has gathered during their fight. Not to mention he had too much of a twisted fighting style. It can’t be from some clichés like greek mythological heroes, or any other origins in the gods era.

_Such a weird combat tactics, a combination between Archery, Magecrafts and Swords arts._

Not only the bowman used a bow, but he also projected the same swords for a couple of times, if Rin was seeing things right, they were twin blades that looked almost identical to one another except for the colors.

There shouldn’t be too many Heroic Spirits who stored those abilities and weapons in their resumé.

That man detected all of her openings but chose to reflect only her magic jewels back and not counterattack. He has eyes for a mage, and Rin sure can tell when she saw one. So a mage that later became a Heroic Spirit was where she should start at.

  
  


+++++

“... and that’s all we have for now.”

Romani said tiredly, he handed an emptied mug of coffee to Da Vinci as he twisted the chair the other way around to type something on the board. The whole operator room was on a break, and there’s only the director of the organization, Mash, and Da Vinci here.

“I don’t know what it is that she wants to consult with him, but she won’t cooperate any further than necessary before she gets to meet Waver Velvet.” He said wryly.

“She also said that she won’t accept our medical aid, so we really can’t know for sure what kind of mage she is, types of blood—magic she uses, her abilities and all the odds.”

“Can’t we use some of the tapes in practice room? It might be of helps.” Mash said suggestively.

“I was on it just until now, but there’s nothing we can confirm besides things that she already told.” Romani pointed at the screen. “What more interesting is the magic circle that someone used to send her here, we will have to wait for the research’s result.”

Da Vinci nodded. “That girl is pretty cautious, so might as well trying from there and then we’ll see things with her later after Zhuge Liang comes back.” The painter turned towards the one and only Shielder of Chaldea. “How’s she doing, by the way?”

“She seemed fine,” Mash tilted her head asides. “Hmm, like you said, Rin-san looked pretty much prudent and astute, and very in details person. I don’t know if we could pry on something she doesn’t want us to know yet.”

“Already on first name basis with someone you have just met? That’s so unusual of you, Mash!” The big blue eyed exclaimed out of surprise. “But Rin could be weak to younger girls, I see… that’s right, next time I’ll transform to another version so that we can lure her in—”

“Mash, have you talked to Fujimaru-kun?” Romani interrupted the babbling with a wide smile on his face.

“Y-Yes, doctor, I have.” Mash said wryly. “It seems like he didn’t get much either. But I just bumped into Emiya-senpai awhile ago on my way of coming here, so…”

“Where’s him?” Da Vinci asked, hands pinching on the doctor’s cheek.

“I asked him to deliver Rin-san her clothes, was it alright?”

“That’s fine, though, if he doesn’t want to talk about his connection with this girl. We can say that definitely going to stir something out of those two.” Da Vinci grinned mysteriously.

“Something?” Mash returned with a puzzled face.

“We will see,” is what Da Vinci gave the youth who mustn’t read enough fictions in her free time like she often does.

The white haired looked up at the clock seeing the time has passed for one’s usual dinner. He glanced at the silver plate in front of the room, leaving untouched. And no signs of anyone inside either. She’s probably off to the basement like she said she would.

Is it her one of her hobbies to mess with people’s mind and rile them up? He couldn’t tell, seeing that they were acting like strangers around each other. He can’t say that this was on intentions or not.

_“You see, Emiya.”_

_He glanced down at his master, whose face so familiar, holding the same power over him and yet, completely different person._

_“I don’t think we have an option here,” Ritsuka spoke up, this time not as his friend but as a master. His voice was_ _solemn and final. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t force you, but…_

_Just, tell me about the thing you said during the fight, could you do that?”_

_He shifted on his weight, quite a new habit of him that was discovered lately whenever he felt uneasy._

_“_ _…It’s her name.”_

He remembered the face his master has put on, oh, what a sight.

And Ritsuka was later like… _that’s it?_ With an unbearable quietude, he left before more questions could come up.

Emiya picked up the food. Heading to the cafeteria while thinking about Rin’s condition. She did look fine, but the scars on her back, and there’s some more on her arms, he doubted they were even there during their time together in Clock Tower. Plus, they looked seemingly dark and old, it must happen quite some time ago.

_What happened after I left..?_

He stopped, a shadow flashed across his eyes as the old scar of his own that once killed him in that night did a twist at the reminder of the woman who brought him back alive.

Emiya set the plate on the floor, knowing that there’ll be someone or _something_ comes by and pick it up. His feet did a complete turn to the other direction, determined to find some answers.

The basement was not as crowded as the cafeteria, but there’s a certain amount of people coming down here for businesses as Chaldea staffs management rooms and their research work office are all down here. He walked past several officers as some of them gave him questioning looks before he finally reached his destination. The study room.

Emiya stood by the door, hesitating. But before he could step near the automatic censor, it’s quickly opened from someone on the other side.

He went and hid at the corner of one’s hallway on reflexes, his brows drew together, not understanding why he himself did so. He looked up. The one who came out of the room was undoubtedly Tohsaka Rin.

“This is what I hate about Modernization,” The long haired magus murmured as her shoulders dropped, body slumped back over slightly. “Everyone forgot that all things could be done manually and not rely on the damned machines which will corrupt one day if not for the people who innovated them. How annoying!”

Emiya forced down the urge of bursting in laughter. He patiently waited for her to walk away, before coming out of his cover, a small smile creeping in his way.

Rin has always been a technology dunce, after all. Being in the age where everything and everyone has processed the ability of Modernized Magic based knowledge would be difficult for her to catch up.

That left her no choice, the other places that she could’ve been going narrowed down to one.

He stepped inside Chaldea’s library, it’s one of the biggest place inside of the building as gigantic circular wooden design of each floors provided an enormous space for visitors. It was a little late so there’s not many people using it, in fact, he only saw the staffs that working on their schedule. Not a single person who has come to this place at a time like this, and the books were all in the pre-modernism ages. One could say it was no use for a servant or anyone at all to use and spend their free time with to kill out boredom.

An unique odor of mahogany enveloped around him as he strolled through the aisles. There’s no sign of her in common area, so he decided to go down stairs.

_History… Architecture… Arts… Politics…_

The sound of his footsteps were carefully concealed under silencing spell as he was surveying each zone thoroughly and stopped at the golden sign of the restricted area. He stared at it for a brief moment before walked past it.

His finger was gracing over categories, reinforcement, familiar usage, alchemy, necromancy, divine spirits, summoning… he stopped at the blank space on the shelf.

_Caught you._

He flipped his wrist as he stopped at the sound of paper turning over. The heroic spirit stood in silence, hidden in a shade of sheer moonlight.

“This’s not it,” Rin sighed as she closed an old book in her hands. Eyes growing, a hint of reinforcement, increasing the speed of vision. Beside her was a huge amount of books and her legs crossed on the wooden desk, a lamp was on nearby, creating a subdued light on her face. Her expression hooded. Aquamarine varied to a much darker shade.

Strangely, the sight before him has brought back his enigmatic sentiment of that ocean painting.

“If only I could find ones that written about Akashic Records, things might be much easier.” She muttered, throwing herself against the chair as she looked up at the ceiling hopelessly.

_Fifth Magic is really the tricky bitch._ She thought while taking her time for a quick break, massaging her eyes, before gradually standing up.

Emiya narrowed his eyes, _Akashic Records_ , in other names, the Root, the Vortex of Radix or even _Heaven_. It’s a common knowledge of first rates in the Magus’s living world that known as a metaphysical location that resembles as a force that exists above all theories in every dimension. When he was still her apprentice, he had heard her talking about it countless of times due to her experiments with recreating Magics. She knew a lot from her several attempts, and she was merely one of the fews who were close to reach a path into encountering with the Root itself. Though, if he recalled correctly, not even Tohsaka Tokiomi could archive that within his lifetime.

_Why does she want to learn about it? Has she accomplished her research yet? Or someone who was close to her…_

His vision flashed into a blur while his hearing still working. His body taken aback with invisible force. His eyes squeezed shut, feeling the heat around him suddenly increased. His lungs burning up, he felt his strength getting drained out as his legs wobbled, threatened to collapse.

Emiya forced opened his eyes, and then, that blue was up close. Her long hair tingling his sides as she was gone from the old spot and appeared abruptly before him. Her face’s vibrant and her hands crossed behind her back.

“Oh my, I didn’t know someone would come in here. Was I blocking your way?” Wearing a smile that did not reach her eyes, Rin added with pronounced voice. “ _Apologies_.”

Emiya opened his mouth slightly only for it to shut again, his entire body tensed up, every cells screaming for the danger he was confronting, known as one demonic magus he far used to in the past. Her transparent eyes bored a hole to his chest as he held his breaths, startled.

“What’s wrong? You’re all sweaty,” Rin reached out her hand, but he turned his face away from the touch.

The magus didn’t say anything, but didn’t make any move to return his personal space either.

Dark blues looked into his grays, pupils dilated as she’s considering her next move. He tried staying neutral as he stilled his motions and mutely let out a hot air of short breaths, a drop of beading sweat drifted down his chin to his neck, her eyes followed its movement.

“Guess you men really love letting off some steam with all that sparring, getting yourself all covered in sweats. Maybe you could invite me to join in for some other times?” She said calmly, aquamarines flared in mild amusement and slightly challenging. Face feigning aloofness, she cocked her head to the side. “Now, shouldn’t you **hurry back** and take a bath? It’s late.”

It’s her last warning.

After made sure and checked if there’s anyone behind his back, Rin stepped back, icy blue glowing underneath her bangs. And in half minute or full, she wore that familiar fake smile with her carefree attitude once again.

“Well, but if you want to use it, the desk is all yours.” She grinned at him brightly.

He did not answer, and let the woman walked past him with her dark shiny hair spreading like a thick satin through the air.

“And next time, do ask directly,” She said in quiet tone, looking back at him with half of her face turned, her voice’s cold and monotonous. And for a moment, her hair turned crimson in a shade of fire. His breath eventually came out even and didn’t feel like he had swallowed a whole pit of magma anymore, his body finally turned back into normal. She then added. “ _Red Archer_.”

His eyes widened at the way she addressed him before leaving. He was used to many of names, and he remembered being called _Archer_ for numbers of times. While he was pretty sure he used to it mostly because of her, _Red Archer_ was a new, and fresh one.

When Emiya regards the color as Rin’s signature sign, seeing that she wore it the same passing through several moments in their lives. He never noticed he has, in a way, resembled himself as one who appeared wearing red as well.

_Since when did it change? I can’t remember._

Regardless of his holy shroud given from a girl from the Church, he has come to conclusion that he started to take his liking in the color long before that.

Emiya gazed at the view outside through strained glass of the window. The moon was hidden behind the clouds as he wander back to the entrance.

_Maybe you could invite me to join in for some other times?_

He smiled. Oh, if only she _knew_ how much he had wanted that after their first encounter( _reunion?_ ) together.

Maybe that’s why he changed.

Emiya wasn’t sure about which blue shades he liked most, but he decided since long time ago that **Red** has become his new favorite.

And he was ready to drown in _her_ _red_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, thank you for finishing the first chapter. It was a pretty long one, wasn’t it?
> 
> I had been dying to update this story, but during my time of rewriting it, I has found that the first chapter needed a LOT of fixing in a sense of its storytelling. Meanwhile I already mentioned that I was confused over the multiple perspectives of characters and their narratives, this time I needed to be careful on the use of Nasuverse Lore with my headcanons and the timeline. Phew, I need to double check for quite a lot of times. And I may come back to do so some more when I have free time.
> 
> Though, It was pretty fun writing some Stay Night characters in Grand Order setting, I felt like it was written such a long time ago (if you don’t know yet, I wrote this story for quite a year now. And it was finished roughly on my ipad.) so my opinion has changed throughout the time. Some of the scenes seemed a bit off to me, but when I corrected them, I found that the original was better. So yeah, that CONSUMED quite a lot of my time. But I’m glad I did it.
> 
> I don’t know when the next chapter would come out, since it was mostly cut to adapt on chapter 3 so I need to build it all up. But I guess it won’t take long, since I was stressed out on my current tasks at work. It seems that I could zone out and daydreaming over the drabbles faster compared to usual. (Does that even make sense? Guess not,)
> 
> If you have any opinion about this story, feel free to write down comments and give it a kudo if you’re pleased to, now, it’s my cue getting back to work. Have a nice day, everyone!
> 
> Until Next time.


	3. A Matter of Heart and Soul I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin’s flashbacks. The life of a magi’s. 
> 
> Most scenes of this chapter is a part of another series that centered around Rin and her Mage Association’s unit in which will be published for some other times. This series and that other one are connected. But you don’t have to follow both to understand them.
> 
> If you’re not interested in the flashback parts. You may skip to the last cutscene of this chapter to continue the story. Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, everyone. I’m finally back!  
> The last following weeks have been rough, since there was another lockdown in my country and then followed with a bunch of holidays phases so I hope y’all don’t mind the delayed updates. This chapter is occasionally long, I hope you receive it well.

**Chapter 2**

**A Matter of Heart and Soul Part I**

People usually prefer things to stay the same.

Whether it is their environment, such like a certain weather in their hometown, even the smallest things like the brightness of their bedroom’s favorite spot, or the fresh air when going out for a brief dog’s walking, other permanent surroundings that they know it’d barely change even throughout phases of time. People love the feeling of nostalgia that oozing from those specific somethings.

But one thing that’s hard to keep from changing, is _connections_.

They might prefer a comfortable temperature during Spring when they come home but people never get to stay at their birthplace for the rest of their life, their bedroom wouldn’t always be theirs as people comes and goes, moving around with the change of responsibilities in life, their dog might always be there to accompany them to their regular morning routines, but every life will have come to an end, the same goes to any other beings. And eventually, everything will be forced to fall apart.

Rin might not be the kind of person who takes anything for granted, but she never got a chance to find out whether she was one of those people.

Things had barely stayed the same in one mage’s life; the life of person who has to endure sacrifices and embrace any sins they have committed for the sake of greater good. Rin got used to that, she thought that it was fine not being able to learn the answer for that question.

The girl grew up in an empty house that she barely called it home herself.

Her father, who she’s admired so dearly, had gone to a war, and he’s never returned.

Her mother had followed him not long after.

The most important persons in her life, had all but perished away, though **one** could stay, but that never had happened as she was _given away_ to be a complete stranger, and not even shared the same name as hers anymore.

Ever since then, the girl has no longer referred to herself a girl, and more determined to have herself labeled as a magus.

  
  


_Sunday’s morning, Athens, Greece_ , _Six years before the Chaldea incident._

Rin stared blankly at the sight of extensive area in front of Athens airport. Her eyes unfocused, looking completely drained out as she’s sitting stiffly on her luggage with her hands left free by her sides.

Despite being an adult for almost good two years, and having been traveling outside her country from time to time, Rin never got used to going on a plane.

Economic class or not, she has several issues concerning over this very idea of traveling by the so-called aircrafts regardless. It’s tiring, a waste of money (even though it isn’t her money we’re talking about here.), and causing her lots of pain, for one good example; getting all of the scanning censors in whole goddamn airport rang loudly by her magical equipments. Though, she was quite used to it and got passed through the gate easily without real problems by the help of Mage’s association. Her endurance was still nowhere near _bearable level_ compared to other mages that had lived in this human world’s common rules for over centuries.

Nonetheless, being the center of attention in that kind of incident has been completely another meaning to one she had throughout the flight. Rin used to glares and stares, she’s been handling those kind of people who got interested merely because of her appearance her entire life, but still, it’s annoying when she just wanted to get some sleeps. It makes her want to go undercover with self-polymorph and turned into a bald old man, or simply cast a camouflage spell to cover her mixed ancestry appearance.

“Miss Tohsaka?”

Her head shot up at the sound of her name, there’s a dark haired, tall European man standing in front of her, wearing a casual attire suitable for the hot and dry weather at the moment, one of his hands holding some kind of photograph while his phone was held in the other.

After looking back and forth between her face and the photo a little vaguely like he wasn’t sure he has found the right person, the man finally said with his austere, rigid face that is suitable for a mage.

“Your car has arrived.”

+++++

“Can’t we just transport from place to place by internal gates or something?”

Rin rubbed against her arching neck, half-heartedly complaining after being led to a jet-black limousine and seated inside the car with the belt buckled in place. 

“It’s too much waste of magical energy. Not to mention, unnecessary with all the expenses.” The black haired man who was carrying her luggage and put it in the trunk answered shortly while stroding to the car door. He seemed to be in his late thirties, his high cheekbones, deep sockets beneath sharp eyes, along with dark wavy hair and tanned skin gave away that’s he’s either a mixed Italian or of some sorts. He then came to close the door on her side.

“Then what’s the point of being Mage’s Association?” She quoted dryly, armed crossed in boredom as her long legs stretched out to the expansive room, her muscles itching by the long trip. “You guys are too frugal.” She commented bluntly, massaging her legs together.

“Is there any problem about the flight?” He asked, looking at her from rearview mirror, already in his front seat beside the driver. His wise currant eyes reminded her of a rabbit that staring carefully to preserve themselves. Which is a wild innuendo considering that he is around seven feet tall.

Rin frowned, seeing that this would bring them nowhere, she finally dropped the topic. The man in a white shirt sighed briefly upon seeing her retreat and let it go. With his gaze towards the front, he nodded to signal the driver to drive off to their destination.

Rin started to doze off to the view outside, the buildings in Athens through her sunglasses’ lenses were slightly different compared to ones she used to from her previous visits of other ancient cities in Northern Europe. And she likes it, maybe because it’s more primeval.

Memorized by the beauty of this city, Rin looked up at the clear sky. Considering that they’ve arrived around noon, so there it was, a big, full rounded sun, rising at the central as she was watching a flying engine made a bee line to the other side of the city, she lightly snorted. Aquamarines focused back to the road in front, her reflection on the mirror caught the dark haired man attention. But he immediately looked away out of discomfiture.

Annoyed by his attitude, Rin slightly turned her face aside and watched the big steel bird heading across the city.

If this man really wanted to know. She could continue with a speech about humanity’s weakest achievement such like that flying innovation.

What is her problem over planes? Easy. It’s mechanical, and is mostly driven by humans, meaning that there’s a chance they’d make mistakes. Then what’s about Autopilots? it doesn’t matter, they won’t solve the issue anyway. And by the word mistakes means it could fall. At any time, in any minutes. With its unpredictability, she’d rather sleep peacefully on her long trip by some old trains in a rail than wide awake with hands pinned tightly against the plane’s armchair by binding spell (in some of the cases, to make sure she doesn’t float away by accidents.)

Rin hates to rely on technology. But she can’t admit it in front of someone from the damned Mage’s Association’s Intelligence department. That would be like admitting defeat to the pioneers themselves.

“Isn’t the limousine too much for a mission like this?” She remarked randomly to distract her thought, yawning like a drowsy cat by her recent jetlag. She’s been on a couple of trips lately on her previous tasks submitted by MA so she’s kinda exhausted even before this one has started. Her eyes reflected a green hue seeing that they went out of the city’s landscape. Entering the outskirts route.

“It is meant to be a show-off. This is our undercover. And you are supposed to dress like a German parvenu that loves to be the queen of social circles.” He paused, sounding hesitant whether to continue for a second. “Not a clueless tourist” He mumbled under his breath.

Rin looked down at her plain clothes, simple v-neck red shirt and bleached jeans, with her cute little feet in orange sandals. Her hair done in a high ponytail and her face cleaned, no make-up. She sighed a bit before raising an eyebrow.

“It’s sixty-three outside, what did you expect?”

“Anything but that, I guess.” He returned in the same manner.

The man shifted his gaze to meet hers in mirror’s reflection. Lips wearing a small grin upon seeing the troubling woman groaned in annoyance and tried going back to her presumably peaceful nap.

The man pressed on automatic touchscreen, adjusting the backseat to a more appropriate angle for her rest.

“I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”

“Don’t have to.” She mumbled promptly, jaded eyes closed, like hell she would fall into deep sleep with two strangers observing her as if she was a prisoner in cells like that.

Rin rolled to the other side, her ponytail dropping on her collarbones, listening to the smooth echo of the engine as she pretended to be asleep, which isn’t that hard since she usually sleeps around these times during her breaks in Clock Tower, so she let the lack of energy taken over. Thinking a quick nap won’t hurt as long as she can wake up in time.

She ended up having the damned man woken her up with a tugging jolt at their arrival an hour later.

  
  


“Hey, I think you should probably stop. That’s your forth.”

Aquamarines underneath a pair of optical-like lens didn’t move, but remained focused on the newspaper that is illustrated to be so from the outside, that is actually a piece of insight information from the association with a list of suspects name and other details. The two of them were sitting side by side on the front stools of a cafe in Nafpilo, one of the most beautiful but not too well known cities in Greece, almost two hours away from Athens.

Rin slowly put the paper down after hearing such a statement, one hand grabbing on her drink. Sending an indifferent glance over her shoulder.

“I’m not that weak on alcohol.” Rin countered, after made sure there’s no one in the cafe close enough to hear them talking. It is true that she isn’t someone who will be easily intoxicated, and drinking one glass or two before going to bed usually gives her a better rest. Though, that is not a habit of hers that needs to be bragged or proud about. Rin corrected him anyway. “And this is my fifth, Sixth.”

“Sixth?” The dark haired man returned with questioning look which she found it’s funny despite his intimidating character.

“You’re the sixth person they sent to work with me, not that you’d be much of a help, but...” She waved her hand lazily, the other rolling the golden liquid in pragmatic glass back and forth. “Y’all good with handling things, like these boring documents and other local stuffs.”

“To say the least, we’re the one who provide you our resources, all comforts on your trips, accommodations including meals on the planes, your three time foods—“

“Yeah, yeah, thanks for the drinks, _Sixth_.”

His facial expression snapped by irritation. “Again. My name is Ha...”

“Your name isn’t something among my concerns.” Rin interrupted. Stretched her arms back to the chair as she put off the mystic code she’s been wearing, the glasses given by MA that decodes their illusion spell, on the table. Sipping on her drink, she continued lightly. “And they never sent same people twice anyway. Considering this as one time thing, we shouldn’t really bother remember each other’s names.”

“Wow,” The dark haired leaned his back against the padded seat. His hand holding a coffee cup. “You’re far worse than what I heard.”

“Oh, trust me. I haven’t even started yet.” She smiled at her new partner briefly before her eyes locked back to the target’s building. Seriousness immediately took over her playful features. “They’re coming.”

Sixth followed her gaze to see that there’re groups of people coming out of the grand hotel in the opposite site. Most of them looked like some high-society celebrities-snobs. It’s only three p.m. but they all looked drunk and anyone could tell that there’re also drugs with that flushed faces and strange way of walking. Rin caught a blonde girl wearing hoops earrings that walking behind the rest of the groups and recognized her as the one on their list.

“Seriously, I don’t really give a damn about these people or how they’d spend their money. But that’s pretty wild,” Rin shook her head. “I could literally smell the weeds even from this far.” She said with a disgusted look on her face.

Sixth seemed to notice that she’s getting more comfortable around him. His expression faded into more relaxed one, nodding. “Agreed.”

“You sure that we got it right?” Rin hummed, put the glasses back on table to take a look at the fake newspaper—their data document once more. “What does that Rosaline girl want from a homunculus agent? A humanoid pet?”

“Who knows what’s put inside those Crazy Rich people’s mind.” Sixth offered through the brim of his teacup. Before he paused and realized his own stupidity.

“Some crazy shits,” Rin reached to her own glass, attempting to gulp the rest of crimson liquid down in one go before stopped. “...what?”

Sixth stared at her in mild bewilderment, mouth slightly gaped as his eyes looked a bit disbelief.

“Nothing... I just—” He tried to find the word. “I don’t think you’d be...”

“What?” Rin narrowed her eyes. “Is there any rules about women can’t swear?”

“No, none.” Sixth sighed. Did not expect the head of Tohsaka’s to be bantering with him over such a thing. Having considered her as one of those rich girls himself, Sixth was understandingly taken aback by the excessive remark.

Rin noted that the man was quick to admit his defeat, before he went back to the business. Shoving something out right from his pants pocket, he handed the object towards her.

“By the way, this is your phone. I know that you don’t like to have one. But this time it’s necessary.” He said, still waiting for the other to take the device.

“I didn’t... not like having one.” She looked at the metallic object in his hand, uncertainty settled in her gaze.

“Oh, really? Then why don’t you?” He retorted with a blank look.

Rin turned her face away, looking strangely disturbed by his question, her fingertips rubbing at the cold surface of now emptied glass, and sighed mutely before finally said.

“If anything came up, people usually contacted me through my assistant.” She explained with almost too automated professionalism, before dismissed the topic by pretending to read on their data file some more.

The dark haired man’s quick enough to catch on the past tense. And the ‘No more questions on this topic.’ that somehow hang up in the air.

“Well, you get to have one for now.” He continued lightly and placed the smartphone on table, didn’t push nor ask any further simply to keep the talk going on. He then added with a crooked tilt of his head. “Know how to use it?”

“If you’re gonna inform me about this demonic device, please be quick.” Rin said dismissively. “I’m starting to get tired, I need a good sleep before tonight’s patrol.”

“You sleep quite a lot.” Sixth pointed out, not sure why it mattered but the woman nodded in response and didn’t seem to care at his picking.

“Yeah,” Rin replied, rubbing against her neck. “I usually get tired during the day.”

“...right.”

“So? Should we start now?” Rin offered, knowing full well that she’d end up having him repeated it again the next time she’s got to use it. And only think about the softness of five stars hotel’s king size bed and all the conveniences she can get that MA paid for their unusual fancy mission.

  
  


A week of only observation over their target passed by, and nothing particular happened. Therefore, they decided that the deal between Rosaline Westwood, and the suspicious homunculus dealer will be held at the party in an exclusive cruise this weekend.

The day has finally come as Rin herself almost forgot what brought her to Greece in the first place. She ate her breakfast in her room, and fell asleep immediately after finishing her dessert, the scrumptious lemon tarts.

It’s already half past eight and the magus’s been sleeping like a rock.

She slept through the ringing noise of the hotel phone, the bell at the entrance rang for a full minute before she finally woke up and heard a pounding sound of someone knocking in front of the room, impatiently.

Rin opened the door, and was forced to meet with the dark haired MA officer who was apparently in a foul mood. She could see the veins on his temple popping out like a thunder and his face slightly flushed in anger.

“I called over… ten times, _at your phone_.” Sixth said under his fuming breaths, his index finger pointed at her as he’s trying to keep his voice low in consideration of the neighbors.

“...I didn’t hear any of that,” Rin stretched her arms, blue gaze hazy from not being fully awake yet while white hands pulled firm at the bathrobes that she’s wearing and returned with a “sorry.”

He’s sure as hell she doesn’t.

“Next time, try picking up your phone.” He muttered with all the patience he had left for this woman, the one and only Tohsaka left on this goddamn planet. “Since you didn’t, I gotta call to the reception to have them contact through your room...” The man couldn’t help and started to deliver his complaints.

“I’ll go get ready.” She cut him off, insensitively closed the door on his face without warning.

The half-italian let out a sound, this woman is really unbelievable. First she drank like a fish, and now it appeared that she wasn’t as much as responsible as one would assume so by her appearance and acts.

_What else could she be hiding behind that title, one of the three bloodlines who started the bloody magical wars?_

Sixth wearily shook his head.

The next minute they were meeting at the hotel’s front. Rin dressed up gorgeously in the dress that they’ve been preparing for her, crimson velvet piece hugging her curves perfectly like it was made only for her to wear. Two straps crossed at the middle of her back, with the cutout by one opened side, a bright area of bare skin around her left waist was clearly exposed and noticeable.

Her long hair was tied up in an easy updo style. On her face there was nothing much, just a finishing touch of some powder and red lips. Since she was the only one who did all the work herself, she chose to go for the simplest look. However, she knew she got it all covered.

Rin walked down the stairs, quite unsteadily with a pair of the prepared golden heels as she carried a glittering red purse matching the outfit. Her expression was slightly bored and annoyed with how uncomfortable her attire was until she found Sixth staring from across the hall, she adjusted to her usual composure and began to approach him.

“Where’s the car? They comin’ yet?”

“They’re on their way,” He answered belatedly, looking utterly surprised upon seeing her.

She nodded while looking around to nothing in particular, and, with her even tone, spoke to him in her vexing manner.

“Though I somewhat know that this isn’t a sight you’d get to see in any ordinary occasions, but,” Rin said subtly, grinning with satisfaction as she felt a full filled hinge of revenge to the previous remark that the man had bluntly made on their first day when she arrived. And because she likes it when she’s making men nervous, waking them up from an illusion that they had everything in their control. “it’s better to do it in secret, you know.”

As Rin viciously suggested, the magus sensed that his stoic gaze was no longer on her upon being called out.

“Or at least when you think I’m not watching.” Rin completed in a joking tone, turning her face to meet the man’s yet recovered from the daze before she threw the empty expensive purse that she didn’t own at him to break him from the spell.

Sixth startled a bit before catching the bag in the air, letting out a muted sigh.

“...it’s not a crime. I’m just surprised.” _And I thought you weren’t watching, so how did you notice?_

“Right, you seem to get that a lot.” Rin said, looking at his own funny tuxedo amusingly, though, she seemed to genuinely appreciate the sincerity in his voice that he really wasn’t checking her out or thinking anything weird for that matter. “The purse does match your tie, by the way.” She teased a little.

Sixth simply ignored the comment. “Do you remember what we have to do tonight?” He changed the subject, back to their mission.

“Yeah,” Rin said, back to her usual composed self. “Nothing much, the point is not to alarm anyone, and just contact the dealer before our target gets her chance to do it first, after all.”

“That’s my job,” He corrected. “Your job is to find Rosaline Westwood and divert her from her meeting with that dealer, and in order to prevent that from happening, I think you should be less… distracting.” He suggested, narrowing his eyes with a genuine concern looking face. Rin sighed, purposely audible and then frowned.

“You complained when I wasn’t dressing up, and now you complain because I’m wearing one of those rich bitches’ favorite designer brand’s clothes, in which your people prepared. Not me.” Rin said, clearly annoyed, a hand on her hips with her head cocked aside. “Do tell me, should I feel sorry or should I be flattered? To be a mere distraction, out of all things I could’ve been?”

“Just… try not to catch too much attention.” Sixth grimaced before quietly giving up. Not bothered enough to find out who would eventually win the argument.

Rin looked at the front as the bellboy announced an arrival. She stood up, motioned her head towards their on-waiting limousine.

“Let’s get going, I don’t want this to fall behind our schedule.” Rin said, already went out the building by the time she finished.

“One can tell,” Sixth murmured and followed shortly, seeing that the woman didn’t wait for him to open the door first, ignoring all traditional etiquette, he simply went in the seat beside her and quickly tugged at his tie to dismiss the uncomfortable when they’re finally out of others’ sight.

The man placed shimmery red purse on her side, and he waited for the vehicle to started moving before urging her with. “For someone who’s not right on time, you sure looked at the clock quite often.”

She offered nothing in return to that, just keep watching the view and intended to let the conversation die down quietly.

Which was almost succeeded had he not denied her unspoken request with his little probing question.

“Why? Do you have something to do when you get back?”

The long haired magus refused to give him a proper answer, and only hmmed in response to the temporary company.

Sixth then eventually accepted the deafening silence in their car and let it go, he could see that even though she had been acting quite comfortably around him for the past week, there’s still a certain line of boundaries that he shouldn’t step over.

And fortunately, he didn’t, nor planned on changing the very fact.

  
  


They arrived at the pier on time.

Watching several brands of supercar took turns to deliver the invitees, Rin could see a lot of high society circles including some famous celebrities in their fancy costumes entering the private reserved area along the sea as they began to line up for their boarding.

The sound of chirping gatherings has showered the entire area as Rin strode past them in an unhurried manner. With her hand hooked to the dark haired agent’s arm, they’re both thoroughly walking side by side towards the wooden jetty that leading to the prodigious party cruise awaited in the port and managed to blend in with the rest of the crowd enough to not raise any suspects.

Attentively observed their surroundings, Sixth was the first who signaled a telepathic communication through their mutual access.

_“I don’t see her yet.”_

_“Neither do I.”_ Rin replied, her eyes still searching.

_“Do you think it’s a trap?”_ He took a quick glance at her, looking unusually nervous.

The magus kept her face straight. _“She might’ve already gone onto the cruise, it is too soon to tell.”_

The long line has been lessened as most of attendants already scanned their way into the party zone inside.

Rin put up her phone from the purse, trying to open it. After a five minute has passed and there’re only two persons left before her, Sixth then grabbed the device from her phone to help and open a certain graphic before gave it back to her.

_“Is the modern-tech too hard for you?”_ He stated cooly, his eyes gleaming with sheer amusement over a thought of someone like Rin being an extreme technology dunce.

_“Oh, shut up,”_ Rin resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and her next remark did confirm his suspect. _“Why can’t they just use the goddamn invitation cards?”_

_“_ ** _This_** _is an invitation card.”_ The man showed a white graphic on his phone screen. Before it’s clicked shut, Rin thought she saw something on it, though she immediately dismissed it as the line was shortened until it’s her turn. She deadpanned.

“Virtual doesn’t count,” was her monotonous, verbalized reply after they both got in.

“Welcome to 21st century, Miss Tohsaka.” returned him with an even whispering tone, his voice slightly vicious. “Where everything in the world is no longer up to us mages, but to these one and zero digits alone.”

The party was held in some kind of a 90’s gala dinner vibes. Black, white and gold were probably the promised theme seeing that there’s a plenty of decoration in those colors. A stage was set in the middle of the wide cabin inside the cruise. Food and beverage were prepared on luxurious satin tablecloth’s. The invitees in their fancy dresses filled in each floor of the atrium with all the chatters and drunken laughs.

The first floor that they both were strolling was strangely humid and hot. Rin winced by the weird malodor mingling in the air, it was most likely caused by cigarettes mixed with suffocating stinks from the use of illegal drugs.

“Let’s just get this over with.” She said, face twisted in disgust.

A few attendants approached them on their way to get to where they’ve planned, with a half-Italian in his expensive tuxedo and a mixed asian with eye catching red attire, it wasn’t surprising to see that they’ve attracted some attention. Rin went along with the flow casually, mimicking an intoxicated socialite behaviors auspiciously like it was her second skin, much to Sixth’s surprise.

“Didn’t expect you to be this good, with all the actings.” He whispered after she practically shooed away another womanizer with some chitchats and a false promise that she’d come back to find him later once she finished her own business. “If I didn’t know better, I’d probably believe this was the real you.”

Rin snorted, whispered back. “I just know a good example.”

With her mind having a vivid picture of some blonde aristocrat that she knew quite well back in Clock Tower, the red magus let out another dry voice.

Sixth took a quick look around. “We’ll do as we’ve planned. If anything comes up, contact me through telepathy.”

Rin nodded, and shortly after that, Sixth left. But didn’t forget to grab a glass of champagne with him to go with the crowd.

Luckily, Rin found it easy enough to find a trace of Rosaline by a group of her friends who enjoyed themselves a tad too loudly on the third floor. Two of the girls already drunk, totally wasted. And the rest of the group was cheering for the man in flashy orange suit to drink up the whole tower of beer.

Her eyes immediately spotted the target, Rosaline was sitting at a corner of the table. Expression solemn and her eyes impassive. Rin waited for the perfect opportunity to create an appropriate situation in showing up with her appearance. Which wasn’t too long when the girl stood up and left the noisy scene, Rin walked past by with her hand intentionally splashing the juice from a waitress nearby on Rosaline’s white dress. She immediately put up an act.

“Sorry, I didn’t see there’s people around…”

“No, it’s fine.” Rosaline shook her head. “This would give me some good excuse to go to the restroom anyway.” The girl mumbled.

Rin nodded, her eyes feigned empathy. “It’s not easy, right? To be among all those immature kids.”

Rosaline made a surprise face and saw that the other’s gaze was hinting towards her group of friends. “They may seem like it… but they usually don’t behave like that. Not when they don’t put alcohol in their mouth, at least.”

“And when do they not?” Rin smiled.

“You’re right.” She giggled, subtly agreed. “What’s your name?”

“Lynne, Lynne Bettany.” Rin lied, pretty easily since she got used to the job. “And you must be Rosaline Westwood.”

She didn’t seem too surprised this time. She shrugged. “It seems like everyone knows about me because my sister made it big for her beverage logistics.”

“No, actually, I knew about you because you left quite an impressive business impression… in your own way.” Rin’s voice dropped an octave to give her a hint.

When Rosaline didn’t answer, Rin decided not to push. She smoothly changed the topic.

“Should I go with you? I’m the one who dirtied your dress, after all.”

“Uh, sure.” Rosaline smiled wryly. Her expression dimmed. “Restroom is this way I think.”

Rin placed the glass on a table then followed the girl.

_“I’m already with the girl. How’s it going your way?”_ Rin briefly contacted Sixth.

_“_ _Very well, I also found the rumored dealer.”_ Came Sixth’s immediate reply. _“We’re meeting at the top in five minutes.”_

“Got it.”

“Pardon? Did you say something?”

Rin blinked. Before realizing she wasn’t using the telepathy communication, she quickly switched into an innocent civilian mode. “No? Are you sure you’re okay? Maybe you have had too much?”

Rosaline turned off the faucet, and slowly backed away from Swarovski glasses at the sink. Her face revealed uncertainty. “Maybe you’re right.”

“Is it removed?” Rin pointed at her stained white dress.

“Well…”

“Let me see…” Rin quickly dipped her hand in the water and cleaned the beverage mark off with a quick simple magic. She patted on the spot. “Good as new, isn’t it?”

“Ah, thank you.” The girl checked on her dress, and finally put up a relieved face.

“So… are you going back to your friends or we can hang a bit?”

“I’d like to… but I need to get back to my friends.” Rosaline pressed her lips together, a clear sign of nervousness. “We have an important thing to do.” She added.

Rin cocked her head to the side. “Even though they ignore you most of the time?”

The girl twitched in anticipant. “Don’t talk about them like that,”

“It’s not my place to say, but shouldn’t you be more careful around those people?” Rin smiled gently. One hand landed on the girl’s shoulder, whispering. “Once you decide to commit on something, you can’t easily bring yourself back. And your friends won’t allow you to, either. I suggest you to stop doing whatever you were doing just to try to be a little bit closer into those spoiled kids’ spotlights.”

The girl flinched. Her eyes showed uncertainty. “They’re not… spoiled kids. They have a lot of powerful connections in this society.”

“So what? You always defend them, and yet they don’t really care about you.” Rin approached the blonde, driving her until her back was against a cold surface of wall in one of the rooms that was empty. Her face turned serious. “So you admitted you did something to have their attention back to you. I suppose you’re doing it again. It’s not gonna last long, you know?”

“…who are you?” Her pink lips trembling, her gaze slightly hazy and nose drank into a sweet fragrance of this stranger in front of her. “Why do you know so much about me?”

“…” Rin retreated, a smile tugged on the verge of her lips as she’s turning on her heels. “Your secret admirer. Have some confidence in yourself.” She halted a bit, then added. “Or find a better friend.”

Rin gave her a genuine smile. Mysterious as it should be, the stranger in red disappeared as quickly as she came.

After Rin left Westwood at the restroom, she went straight to the deck of the cruise where a pool party was located and found Sixth hovering in a deserted area of smoking.

“Got your job done already?” The man greeted her with a simple nod.

She eyed at his cigarette, he inclined to lower his head.

“Hate smoke?” He prepared to throw it away.

“No, not that.” She shook her head slightly to dismiss some absent-minded thoughts of her own. “How long would we be waiting, anyway? Isn’t our job finished by the time you made a deal with that dealer?”

“Relax, you’re free to do whatever as long as it doesn’t affect the mission.”

“No mages is free to do anything,”

“Coming out from the mouth of someone who’s been practically robbing our bank account with their alcohol’s expenses, that is not at all convincing.”

“I have my own moments,” Rin shrugged, her lips quirked up mockingly. “Apparently, you also have yours.”

He frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Your phone, I saw it.” Rin said, leaning on the rails. “Just a glimpse, but, she’s quite pretty it’s hard to miss.”

“Shit, I…” Sixth stammered and this time Rin could tell he was being extremely serious by the tense set of his jaw. “Please just pretend you didn’t see that. I don’t want her to be dragged into this mess.”

“Never planned on that,” Rin replied, knowing that was someone important to him. “Who’s she?”

“Her name… is Cassandra, she’s my fiancé.” Sixth said. His voice’s stable but his face betrayed him and revealed that his mind wasn’t. “ _Former_ fiancé.”

Not bothered to even take a look at his current expression, Rin could still tell he’s not over it.

“You loved her.”

“Yeah, I did.” Came his earnest reply, and Rin had to stop in awe at how fast he ought to reply.

Rin put on a faint smile, in contrary to the subtly desperate look he was wearing, she spared herself the tendency to relax.

Mages and Romance usually don’t get along, so the female magus wasn’t much surprised to see her partner wearing that kind of look. If anything, she was rather surprised that he seemed so open about it.

In the quite solitude, they looked up to the moon in unison, as if by merely looking at it would help something left unsaid to go away, not so long before Rin tranquilly whispered.

“You should go after her, then.”

Sixth frowned. “Are you kidding? You basically gave me mages’ discipline about how bound to the world we are a few minutes ago.”

“That doesn’t mean I was gonna tell you to throw away the chance to be with a woman you can call the love of your life.” Rin retorted annoyingly. “Not everyone is lucky enough to find someone like that. Better appreciate it before it’s too late.” She murmured in a strange voice, emptied her glass of champagne she picked up on her way here before setting it aside.

“…” Sixth blinked in surprise, despite being around this woman for the past following days, he barely kept track with her flipping attitude. One moment she behaved like any normal professional mage would, and another she gave him such an absurd advice, considering coming from the mouth of possibly one of the most valuable magic users of this century. Even not from her bloodline and based on performances alone.

“Anything else on your mind?” She asked, noticed the change of air upon his sudden quietude. Sixth held a breath to feel the burn in his lungs before letting out the vanishing smoke, his eyes following its movement.

“Too bad it has been a week and I still can’t read you.” He answered, another honest response, dark fingers flicked out grey ash from the tip end of cigarette to the wind.

“Really? That’s what you’ve been hovering about?” She chuckled like he was telling her some lame jokes.

He nodded. “Really. No one ever told you that?”

“I am _not_ that difficult of a person.” Rin offered a small grin, before she paused and sniffed, as the scent of gray smoke tinkling her nostrils. “And according to a certain someone, once you get to know me, you will find it rather funny how quickly of an opened-book I become.”

Sixth dropped his cigarette before stomped on it. “You mean that Japanese amateur you’ve been taking care of.” He went out on a limb.

A teasing smile vanished from her delicate frame, her eyes bored in his absently, caught by the sudden surprise.

Guess he has accidentally hit the bullseye.

Sixth swallowed, adjusting his tie timidly when there’s no answers coming out from his used-to-be-so-talkative partner from a moment ago, even after several empty breaths had passed.

“Sorry, I know he is your roommate… and I needed to read your files, it is my duty to be aware of anyone who might be involved.” He confessed in a rush, clearly afraid of destroying the trust they’ve been building over the course of time. “Didn’t mean to pry or anything,” He added apologetically.

The red magus shifted on her feet, and now her attention moved to the sight of the sea below.

“ _Ex-roommate_ , he moved out weeks ago.” Rin replied eventually, in her usual tone that sounded a bit distant as she was resting her face on one hand to the other direction. “And he is my apprentice, meaning he’s no amateur. In fact, he could do better than you in some certain categories.” Her index finger’s pointing at him lazily. Her face showed no signs of negative emotions.

His features filled in with relief seeing that she didn’t seem to mind about him delving into her personal info. He then allowed himself a small smile.

“Chill out, kitty. I didn’t even badmouth this boy yet and you already went on protective mode.” Sixth could see the woman in red at the corner of his eyes tried feigning her apathy and busying herself with her glass. Despite that, he continued. “I’m surprised, actually, didn’t know that by merely mentioning of someone, I could get on your nerves this quick. Guess you are quite fond of this pupil of yours.”

“Fond? What do you mean by that?” She said. Dulled gaze deadpanned. “And don’t ever call me _Kitty_ again, if you still wanna work together with me through this end.”

“...roger that.” He faced towards the ocean, as she was doing the same. They stayed like that for awhile, just listened to people clattering, before the man started speaking again. “And why did he move out?”

“...what?” She returned with a startle.

“You said he moved out, the Japanese dude.” He gestured with his hand.

Rin blinked as if she wasn’t sure what he’s been saying, then, with a slightly disturbed look, answered his question with her mumbling voice. “Second and I scared him away.”

“Huh?”

Rin sighed, spoke up a bit louder with one hand on her hip. “Je... whatever his name is. The second one who was sent with the Amsterdam skirmish. The redhead with golden fish eyes...” She was about to give up.

“That’s Jeremiah. Yes, he’d worked with you.” The black haired nodded with realization of the mentioning of his co-workers in intelligent unit. “It was the mission after your...” Rin glanced at him, clearly a sign for the man to shut up.

He swallowed the rest of his words, changed his mind. Not wanting to get himself any more troubles, he easily obliged.

“Yeah, I remember now. Why? Why the two of you scared him away?”

“He’d walked on us discussing about the mission, so I had to create the most basic controversy I could think of at the moment to distract him from the deed...” Rin stopped to give him time, and when she saw his expression changed almost comically as she slowlyshook her head, she continued with a more disturbing look. “He thought we were going at it, so he left, decided that it’s better to move into another apartment few blocks away. He wanted to give me some kind of space, in case it happens again.”

He gulped down his beverage that she assumed was some kind of punch before talking. “No shit why Jeremiah was the one who spread rumors about you sleeping around,”

Rin blinked, turned her neck so fast she heard a crack. “He what?”

“He made up a story, that you like fooling around with men. But because he didn’t want to play with you so you punched him in the face.”

“Now I wish I had done it in the crotch.” Rin growled through her gritted teeth. “I told him to just **pretend** kissing me, not shoving his tongue in and out for real, bringing his hands all over the place.” She mumbled under her breaths, lips over the brim of her glass filled with champagne.

“Next time just play coy,” He suggested, not entirely serious about the matter as she saw him grinned. She snorted back to the man. And the two were just standing there in silence, quietly enjoying the night view of Mediterranean in a breeze of chilly air.

Weirdly enough, Rin found his company rather relaxing. Though, they didn’t really talk much in general. And when they did, it’s always about their mission and some serious stuffs. Rin did find the man rather worth working with than most of those that were sent in the past months as he appeared to be extremely straightforward, quick-witted, and most importantly, reliable. However, they’ve only spent the time working together within a mere week, and he was someone from Mage’s Association, so there’s always a tinge of tension from the professional atmosphere around them.

“Say,” Sixth started hesitantly, and she raised her head in participation. “Can I ask you something?”

“It depends,”

“…” Sixth sighed. Inhaled mutely as he faced his partner. “Why did you join the intelligence department? You didn’t seem to be the type of serving someone.”

“I’m not serving ‘em, I’m working with them.” She corrected, did not look at him directly but somewhere behind. “And this is only temporary,”

“Still, what for?” He pushed.

Rin blinked. “You’re the weirdest MA agent I ever worked with, you know that?”

“Money? Glory?” He ignored her comment. “ _Ranks_ , perhaps?”

“And the most meddlesome, too.” Rin muttered through the wind, this time with some poise.

“Mmn,” Sixth coughed in his fist lightly, embarrassed, before he continued solidly. “Looking from outside, I’d say one of these things definitely causes lots of people the trouble in following their orders.”

“…” She groaned in annoyance, her head turned away not meeting his searching eyes.

“But that isn’t the case for you, is it? You don’t seem to need any of that,” Sixth stared down at the woman in question.

Looking from his perspective being more of an insider, Rin can see why he would think of it that way.

Rin straightened herself before slowly leaning back against the steel rail, the cold surface of it causing the muscles beneath her exposed skin to flex, she shifted her weight uncomfortably while answered.

“I just don’t want to be in anyone’s debts, that’s all.”

“Debts...?” His brows tied into a knot. And a realization hit him, probably his best hypothesis based on what he had heard about her.

Rin waited, and he did continue the part where she hates most.

“It’s not your fault. And it’s the association’s job to cover it up, so there’s no debts for you to repay.”

Rin turned her face so that he couldn’t see her expression. Sixth might have understood it in another way, and Rin couldn’t help but grinned sarcastically at that, she did, in fact, owe the Mage’s Association their money either ways. But,

“It’s more than that,” She said.

He gave her a side glance. “It was only an accident... accept it, and just let it go.”

“…” Rin inhaled sharply, bitter scent of cigarette that still lingering in the air filled in her lungs. “That’s none of your business.” Her voice came out dry, and drastically cold.

This time, Sixth knew he did cross the line.

With a wash of cold breeze he flinched, finally snapped back to the reality that they’re supposed to be in the middle of a mission, not on a vacay. Letting himself be reckless enough to force his partner in an uncomfortable spot was completely out of character.

“Well, I’ll go… get us some more drinks.” He said awkwardly, scratching his cheek. “Water for me, I guess.”

Rin watched the clouds vanishing as the twilight appeared in the crimson sky. When she was sure he went out of the earshot, she let out a sigh.

_They died because of me, how could it not be my fault?_

+++++++

It’s been half an hour since Sixth left.

Rin started to shiver in goosebumps. Her skin couldn’t feel anything and her mouth was dry by the cold breaths. She didn’t expect him to take this long, as she began to worry if something really comes up while he was away, a guy’s voice suddenly resonated from the speaker above her head.

_“Ladies and gentleman! It is time… That I will be gladly announcing you, the highlight for today has finally arrived!”_

Rin heard the sounds of cheers and applaud as she focused on the thing announcer just said.

“Highlight?” The magus echoed. And by a quick scan of her surrounding area she has noticed everyone was back inside the atrium.

“We will begin the first round with this boy. A young, healthy, obedient six-year-old. For those who’s hesitated whether you want to adopt him, he has such a high potential to cooperate with whatever you want him to do. The first bid starts at fifty thousand euros, if anyone’s interested in this perfect white skinned little boy. You know your rules, rest your number, and we’ll let the 23rd auction begins!”

“What? Auction?!” This isn’t something they’ve been informed before!

_“Sixth! Where are you?!!”_ Rin hurriedly hunched forward to the nearest stairs connecting to the inside. Activated their magical connection on the way.

_“_ _It’s a trap!”_ She heard him trying to reply, but the link was unstable so she knew his mind was on something else. “ _This whole party is to introduce the homunculus agents to all the people who attends.”_ His voice cut off for several seconds before continued. “ _The damn cruise is a rendezvous for those who wanna make orders. They know we’re here tonight. We have to go, now!”_

“Go? What do you mean—”

Rin barely embraced herself enough for another surprise when the explosive sound coming out from everywhere.

The acrid smell of bombs was the first to fill in her senses, and the screaming came after. Rin arrived at the fourth floor to witness the chaos that was human survival instinct. The crowd scattered to every direction possible to the escape. And Rin forgot about the mission for a moment when she saw one girl nearly being stepped on by the entrance.

When Rin finally helped her up, she then noticed this girl was the same one as Rosaline Westwood, an important key of this operation.

“Bettany?”

“Rosaline, you need to calm down and tell me exactly what I ask.” Rin ignored the confusion on the girl’s look and held her with both hands. “Where can I find the auctioneers? Did you see where they go?”

“The auctioneers..?” The girl was still in daze. So Rin decided to deliver a wake-up call.

“The homunculus dealers, I believe you have contacted one of them.”

The girl’s eyes wavered in fear.

“I…I—”

“I didn’t come here to harm you, I’m here to help.” Rin explained calmly, and the girl seemed to calm down at her words.

“Thank you... I... I just want my friends to attend this auction, they didn’t seem to believe that I have some strings with the dealers. So...”

“That is fine. It is a mistake, but you can still get out of this mess. It’s not too late.” The girl slowly nodded. Rin waited patiently until the other party looked well enough to understand the situation, she smiled faintly. “So could you tell me where those dealers went? You should have seen them, right?” Rosaline blinked at the question, her gaze a little bit daze and her mind started to drift off to the people stumbling behind Rin.

Rin grabbed on the blonde’s shoulders bringing the girl’s attention back to her, with a limited amount of time, she can’t help but pressured the girl for answer.

“I’m not gonna send you to those people who’s currently taking care of the case. But if you can’t help me, I don’t have many choices.”

  
  
Her eyes snapped back to the realization of her worse case, ill-fated possibility.

“I saw them..! I saw them went downstairs—from behind the stage.” Rosaline winced with the pain from Rin’s grips. “I think they went for an escape route behind the godown. I heard that’s where they kept the homunculus in ready for the show. That’s all I know, I swear!”

“Thank you.” Rin released the girl. But before she got away, she pulled her back by the wrist. “Try not to use the main entrance, you might be stepped on again. Use the shortcut along the railing and go find rescue boats. Got it?”

“O…Okay.”

Rin found a trace of fights along the way from back stage. The remaining trails confirmed her deductions about Sixth’s encounter with the culprit. She strode past all the mess, followed the signs and finally found a godown that most likely to be the place where they kept their homunculus.

She stepped in the light area, a boy with pure white hair and fair skin was sitting in the dark corner of one of the cages. Staring silently back at her, waiting for any actions.

“Are you—” She began to approach the boy.

A shadow moved at the corner of her eyes and Rin didn’t waste the time for any disadvantages. She sprung off the spot and shot Gandr to the possibly enemy.

“Show yourself, or else I’ll blow your head off.”

Revealing her true identity with her eyes glaring, the other wasn’t hesitated to do the same. An old man in his mid 50’s walked out of his hiding, dressed in formal suit with both of his hands held up in a sign of surrender.

“I didn’t know **they** ’d be generous enough to send two mages at once coming after us.” He said, appearing more calm than supposed. “I’ve encountered a lot of mages in the past. But this is the first time one let me talk, I’m honored.”

By _they_ Rin must guess he was referring to the Mage’s Association. She looked at the man carefully, didn’t expect the other side to know about where they’re from.

Rin casted another red bullet around her fingers, pointing at the other threateningly. “Walk up this way and don’t try to pull any tricks. It won’t work.”

“That’s for sure.” He humored, followed her instructions. “Huh? Aren’t you a bit too young for the job, little miss?” His face showed mild surprise upon seeing her in a clearer spot.

“Leave that aside. What were you doing down here?” Rin didn’t react to such a remark and simply asked, voice thick and gaze intense, watching him coming to where she stood with both his hands held up and emptied.

“I had to check that all the goods have already transported to their safe place.”

“Where’s that safe place?”

“You’re not playing fair—” Rin released the curse, and it landed perfectly on the floor between his legs, only mere centimeters away from his balls. “To the land! To the land by our transportation gate… we moved them from here just a moment ago.” A fearful expression flashed across the dealer’s eyes when he has finally witnessed the destructive result of the red curse up-close.

_Good. It appeared that he was just another regular man who still valued his own life._

Rin chewed on her tongue. Putting the bits of pieces together, that must be why Sixth got distracted.

“So you have some magic users helping you.” Rin narrowed her eyes. It’s getting more complicated the further she dug in. She gestured her head to the back near the entry. “Lead the way,”

A second before he gradually nodded and turned to do what she ordered, the magus sensed another creature moved in the room while she focused on the old man.

Rin dodged the punch throwing up her way. It’s the homunculus in the body of a child that was in the cage earlier.

Slightly taken aback by the suddenness, Rin took a long stride away from small sized enemy. The boy launched for another attack as Rin squinted. Judging by his movements, the magus could tell he was trained.

But this isn’t the first time she fought with a childlike homunculus.

To her own surprise, the homunculus wasn’t used to the opponent who is a magic user. Rin reinforced her arms and quickly finished the job by delivering an excessive elbow strike at its body. Hard enough to break the bones of ordinary people.

Seeing it retreated and disappeared by the opening window of the roof. Rin halted to make a decision. If she were to follow, she wouldn’t have the time to retain this vital part of webs that will lead her to the possibly one of the biggest illegal organizations in homunculus trafficking.

She turned around to see the old man tried running away in time and shot out another Gandr at one of his legs. He wailed, and Rin grabbed at the back of his white shirt to yank him up from the floor, casting the red spell but this time, pointing her index finger onto his forehead directly till she smelled the skin burned.

“I said don’t pull any tricks, didn’t I?” She snarled

He let out a half-laugh, half-groan. “See? You’re different from them.”

This time Rin had already assumed he had been, indeed, talking about the association.

“How am I any different when I’m currently pointing a hit-to-death curse to your forehead?” She pushed harder, and he cried out by the heating pain.

“If… If you weren’t, you would’ve gone straight on killing me instead of trying to talk.”

“I want your information, not purposely for your life to continue on.” Said Rin. “I can prove it _right here_ if you want, after I get what I came down here for that is.”

“How about this information?” The old man ignored her reasoning. His voice shaking but his eyes daring. Mouth babbling the words out like a flood of molten muds. “In somewhere beneath this mess, there’re the crew and their kids, being held as hostages to make sure that no one could come screw with us. Seeing that the bombs had already been set off, I bet a firsthand assurance like them would worth anything right now.”

The magus’ eyes glared dangerously. “You’re bluffing.”

“Look, it’s not originally my idea. But just think about it.” The old man offered. Still staring cautiously at the point-blank range, ready-to-go shot of Gandr between his forehead. “It’s your call, after all. You can start another interrogation with me here. Or… go rescue the hostages. The choice is yours.”

“Tell me the reason why should I even be considering your words?”

“…and why shouldn’t you?” He licked his lips. “Is it because you’re a mage?”

She paused.

It’s like that again.

The sound in her ear, _voices_ , of several consciousnesses. Began to pour in.

Somewhere between the back of her mind and the depth of her soul, in a crimson limbo, there’re two voices screaming towards her, saying that she shouldn’t waste any time to consider any of the choices. She could have just killed this man right away, ignoring his bullshit. Or go find her partner to let him help thinking things out before any stupid ideas came up.

Both suggested the appropriate ways for a magus to act rationally.

Both ways were the right things to do,

And had she not thought a moment longer than she may have chose. She’d have gone for either way.

But Tohsaka Rin was a stubborn woman, and she was born in a mage’s family. That’s why she knew nothing about backing down from the task.

Being honest to her true self, the woman then made a choice.

Rin slowly let her hand aside, discarded the spell. Her other hand pushed him onto the ground with a thud, though, freely.

“I knew it.” He said conceitedly. “I can tell from just one look into your eyes… You hate killing. But the mages, they exist to eliminate, not to protect.”

Rin’s brows furrowed. “You really want me to prove that?”

“You can kill me, but you won’t.” He said firmly. “You’re afraid of consequences.”

“…”

“And that makes you the weakest of them all.”

  
  


“P-Please let me go, I’m begging you!”

“Geez… Can’t you just stay still for one second?”

Being around normal people won’t allow Rin to use her magecrafts. So she had no choices but to tie up the old man with anything she could find at the moment. Tablecloths wrapping around her knuckles as she began to work, tying them into knots. When the length was promising enough, she then tied the old man with it and let him hang over the rails with his head down.

“It’s good to see that expression on your face,” The red magus said, dusted her hands off before putting both on her hips, sounding genuinely content on the sight before her. “The look likes you know everything just now was starting to piss me off.”

“I already told you that there are hostages on this ship. Why are you tying me up?!”

“And why shouldn’t I?” Rin returned the argument from earlier with a tilted head. “Wait here and behave. You wouldn’t want to end up dying in such a painful way, would you?”

“W—Where are you going?! Are you going to leave me here?!!”

Rin ignored his shouting and began to head towards downstairs. With a quick glance to the outside of the cruise, she knew the explosion from earlier has already started paying its cost. If what that man said was true, she will have no more than half an hour judging by the cruise size to save the civilians and the hidden hostages to the land.

And with Sixth suddenly went MIA, it sounds even more impossible to save everyone and capture the culprits at the same time.

She shook her head. This is not the time to hesitate.

First of all, she needs to find where the hostages are.

Since she can’t manage to lose another second to even make a bet on whether the thing that man says would be believable. Rin decides that she needs to handle it all herself.

Rin found an empty room where no one’s around near the kitchen and put her hand onto the floor. It might be hard to locate them all at once by using Analyze spell, considering there’s still a lot of people waiting for outside rescue on the cruise. Not to mention that this sort of spell isn’t one of her specialties. But to be able to tell what has happened and grasp on a simple image of the cruise’s base is now crucial.

_There’s some people left at the lower engines. That’s the best guess for now._ Rin hissed. Unable to tell more than that. All she saw or felt was the brief structural image of some parts of the cruise, several heats from people around some other places came in after and that’s it. She will need the real blueprint to recognize its location without using magic, or in other case, someone who’s better at this kind of spell more than her.

_An expert who has perfected Structural Grasp._

Suddenly, the dark haired magus was forced to think about _a certain someone_ who would absolutely be of help in this kind of situation.

Except that he wasn’t here.

Rin snapped herself out of her own thoughts. _Don’t get sidetracked. Focus._

At least, they’ve gotten their hand on the real blueprint of the ship.

She exited the room and made a turn partially following her own instinct to where the emergency stairs out to balcony were. Sending several bird-like kaleidoscopic familiars to survey the situation in the meantime, Rin made an attempt to contact her partner through their telepathic connection.

_“Hey, Sixth!!!_ _You’re still there!?”_

_Damn it,_ the heavy raining wind outside and the storming sea weren’t helping her at all.

She tried to activate the telepathy once more. But there’s still no replies from the other end.

_Shit! Too much distractions!_

Rin cursed under her breath, finally opened the phone in her red purse. Pressing on whatever buttons she found, praying that he’d be able to pick up.

“ _Hello_?” A voice finally replied.

”Where the fuck are you!? Why didn’t you send me anything to inform me, what the hell is going on?!!”

_“Wait? What? Are you still on that ship?”_

“Of course I am!” She shouted, not caring if anyone will hear her outrage. A hand shoved roughly through her raven bangs. “What on earth have you been up to anyway? Why suddenly disappeared out of the blue? Did you find the bomb culprits?”

Rin heard a sound like he was speaking with someone out of the call. She frowned. He wasn’t supposed to be near anyone when they were discussing about the mission, that means it has to be somebody who’s involved directly.

After being bombarded with multiple questions at once, Sixth finally returned to the phone.

_“I’ll explain everything, just… stop swearing for now. You’re making me nervous.”_

Rin spoke through her gritted teeth.

“What do you mean I’m making you nervous, there’s still—”

“ _We got all of them, the culprits, the dealers, and all their homunculus. Some of them are already sent to our operational division awaiting in Athens. I had been trying to contact you. But there must be a lot of magical_ _interference, as you might’ve already noticed._ ” He cut her off, and explained in a rushing manner. “ _So I suggest you find a way back to the land. There’s nothing left for you to do on that cruise. Our mission is already over._ ”

“That was the point until it isn’t.” Rin replied with a serious tone. “You didn’t find all of them. There’s one homunculus left on this ship, and a salesman who is still under arrested. You can’t ignore all of the civilians who got involved that waiting for helps either. So there’s no reason for you to force me back to the land. Plus, there’re people who’re currently being held hostage. I need your assist to find them.”

A long deafening pause. Then,

_“…it’s their jobs to provide their own surviving. We mages don’t interfere with this kind of incident.”_

Rin flinched, the knuckles that were holding on her phone turned completely white.

“Even though the explosion might be partly on **your fault’s**?”

_“You said there’s a homunculus and another dealer, right? I will send someone to cover it up later, so don’t worry and return here. We’re waiting at the pier.”_

“Cover it up, you say…” Rin repeated, her hands shaking in anger. “You’re not telling me to let them all die here and pretend like it’s another accident, are you?”

“…” A deep sigh from the other’s end. “ _If you don’t stop being so stubborn, I’ll have to report you to the main branch of our department and force you down. The head of Tohsaka’s.”_

Rin’s eyes turned dark in an instant. “Do it, and I’ll find out where Cassandra lives.”

“… _you_.”

“See? It’s very easy, when it comes down to whom you care about. It’s also the same with these people.” She stated coldly. Her voice tight and her eyes hooded. “So you should shut up and listen to what I say, **Harlan**.”

“...” She heard a sudden gasp at the call of his real name before there came another heavy sigh. Rin could tell he was moving further away from others as she was no longer hearing the sounds of people talking. Harlan then returned. “ _What do you want me to do?_ ”

“Open the blueprint, I need to find where the engine room is from where I am now.” Rin moved towards the first floor downstairs, seeing the flow of water started leaking in, she casted the weigh shifting spell to allow herself to move around more easily. “Also, call the emergency helicopters if necessary. These people are in vain of how to use the rescue boats, you need to help them.”

“ _You’re not gonna get away with this easily, you know that, right?”_

Rin pushed through the heavy door with her head pressed on the phone. Her face deadpanned. “That is a conversation for another time.”

+++++  
  


  
  


“Regret your actions already?”

Rin turned her head at the voice. When she saw it was him, she let out a scoff sound as if were annoyed.

“How many did we manage to save?” She asked her partner in crime, after pushing herself off the wooden rails of the rural road. The red dress that was soaking wet just a moment ago has now begun to dry out, and the hem of it that was tore out by some brute force hung out through the wind uglily.

“Seven hundred and fifty-two.” Harlan ducked his head down to find the lighter inside his worn-out suit, then lit his cigarette with it before added. “And one more homunculus, to be exact.”

“…out of?” She wiped off the bloodied dirt on her hands. Watching several orange emergency boats floated in the sea below her feet.

“Eight hundred and seventy-one.” He answered. “The rest is still on search.”

The young magus wordlessly nodded, and started to pace off to the road with a warm color of sunrise engraving behind her shadow.

Harlan followed. His hands shoved into his slacks’ pockets, his gaze roamed around the Ley line above Mediterranean sea before stopped at his temporary partner’s shoulder blades.

“I tried calling you after you’ve reached the engine room, it went immediately to the voicemail. Where is your phone?”

“Gone,” was her simple reply.

“Gone? What do you mean gone?”

“I threw it away,” She replied unabashedly. Earning a deep frown from the other, the long haired magus has completely gone into another level of shamelessness, so she just ignored his silent treatment. “Say, is everything alright? Can we go now?”

“Unfortunately, not yet. Though, there’s only few things left and you can have your first-class flight back to London,” Harlan said with a deep sigh. He stopped walking, though the other did not.

“ **Rin**.”

The owner of the name grimaced. Who gave him the permission to call her name like that?

Well, but she did call him too back on the cruise. She guessed that must have made them even.

She really owed it to him.

So Rin stopped.

He started with a softened tone. “You really won’t talk about it? How did you manage to transport the hostages in such a short amount of time?”

“…” She stared down at her bare feet. The nails never looked this bad before. “I’m tired. Can’t we talk about this on the plane?”

He ignored her. “You said you’ve wiped out their memories. That’s correct?”

She threw him a look, displeased. “Yeah, it’s the rule after all.”

“The rule is to have no witnesses at all,”

“And there is none,” Rin returned, a beaming half-innocent, half-threatening noble smile was shot at him.

Harlan massaged his temples. “They’re going to be hella pissed if they were to know about this,”

“They won’t have to know.” Said Rin, simply.

He snapped his neck back, staring. “I need to report them.”

“Yeah, and aren’t you the one who write them?” She retorted magnificently.

“…” Harlan sighed, exhaling gray smoke. Feeling his life shortened by every time the eastern magus opens her mouth. “I’ll help you just this once, but if there’s next time… please behave like a proper magus you are.”

“Am I?” Rin shot a bored glance over him. Intentionally getting on his last nerves, which she succeeded.

“You do realize that in the magus’s world your life worths more than theirs, right? You are the last of your household.” Harlan warned grievously. He shifted his intense gaze towards her. “Get a grip of yourself.”

“I should be saying that to you.” The young magus stated coolly. “Who are we to judge that whose life worths than whose?”

“I’ll pretend you didn’t just say that,” He averted his gaze away, his expression stoic. “I’ll just pretend you weren’t sounding exactly like a third-rate magus who forgot to sort out their priorities during an important task.”

“…”

“Harden your heart, the head of Tohsaka’s. Cause if you don’t, there’d be a long way to obtain whatever that you really need from us.” He halted. Turned to look at her once more like he has just realized something. “Also, let the mage healers do their damn job. You’re stronger than most ordinary humans, yes, but you still can bleed to death.”

After that, he left to handle the cops.

And Rin continued to stare silently at the view.

The never ending sight of the blue sea, it’s so peaceful, likes last night was just another part of her nightmare and this scene was the real scenario.

The red magus remembered this feeling. It’s the same with the Grail war. When the war finally came to an end, it felt to her just like another illusion, like if she wakes up and finds out everything had never happened, she wouldn’t be so much surprised.

“But if that was really the case, this will be much more simpler.” Rin sighed by herself. Before turning on her feet and caught a glimpse of an awful reflection of herself in the convex mirror alongside the road. She let out another sigh at the sight. “Shirou is definitely going to be mad this time.”

As her shoulders slumped back in pain from the wounds, to her own defeat, Rin began to pad her feet back to the old direction towards a group of people awaiting down the hill.

Hopefully, she could feel a little bit better after a quick shower break and maybe some good peaceful ride to the airport, so she can also pretend she didn’t just break the first rules of every magus ever in only within a night.

  
+++++  
  


 _  
Day 2 at_ _Chaldea, Present._

“That’s right, why didn’t I think about **that method** before?” Rin pulled at her hair. As she was on her way to the big white room where the transport magic circle is, her cheeks were flushed in excitement, in contrast to the dark circles under her eyes.

She just spent half of the day trying to study on her own over the capabilities of the time traveling system inside her teacher’s well-performed copy of the Fifth Magic. And it wasn’t until she had almost fallen into another deep slumber during her daydreaming that she realized she used to perform a similar ritual before.

When Rin arrived at the plain-looking door of the practice room, it doesn’t open no matter how many times has she tried it.

The magus paced in a circle like an animal in cage, one side of her mind still working on what she used to reproduce in the past as _a form_ of Magic reactor, and the other side was wondering whether she should break in unannounced and find herself an excuse later so she could experiment on the theory she currently has in mind.

  
  
“The moment you step into that room,”

Someone’s voice broke her trains of thought. An awfully familiar voice that she’s recently starting to get used to.

“...make sure you know the consequences of your own action.”

Rin frowned. It was the same Heroic Spirit with his spiky silver hair, once again.

Looking at him with a hint of distress, Rin let out a noise with one hand on her hips. “What are you doing here?”

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t following you. Just passing by.” Emiya replied, pretending to not notice her displeasure as he carried on a basket of futons. “Seeing that you’d need no extra surveillance anyway, as your presence has already been recorded by the sights of several CCTVs in this building.” He added, a jab lying in his undertone.

Rin pressed her lips together. This man never made it easy for her. (Or her own inability of modern technology for that matter.)

Seeing that she’s gone silent, Emiya then made a turn to leave.

“Then, if you’d excuse me.”

“Hey,” Rin called out, and he stopped. Her hand kind of awkwardly reaching out towards him as her face appeared slightly hesitant. “Are you in a hurry by any chance?”

“No, not to an extent, at least.” Emiya said, slowly looking back to the space behind her as if to check the path was clear enough for them to start another secret rendezvous’ talk, which is funny because that wasn’t the case. “Why?” He mimicked her expression.

“Remember when I said I could join you at that time in the library?” The magus started, and it makes his body tenses up whenever she smiles lazily in that usual sweet-malicious attitude. Alarmingly, he already sensed some troubles coming up after the raven haired made one swift move towards him. “I think I could use some exercises to help keeping me in shape, y’ know? After my body went completely useless for couple of days now.”

Emiya said nothing and continued staring in silence at his former magic teacher that has yet to learn his true identity, before she came even more closer with her head tilted, her expression glowing in a provocative way.

“So… what do you say,” She said, smiling. “How about now?”

  
  


Having stayed in her own little room for the past two days and barely been able to do anything besides small walks and some sleeps. She is in need of some effective warm-ups to work with her now clamped body. As he led her in a white, empty room, much like one they’ve been before when she first arrived here, she began to do her usual choreos and immediately felt better by the time she finished.

“Aren’t you still on recovery?” His tone made it sounded like he was scolding her, not asking.

“It’s not gonna happen.” Was Rin’s immediate reply. She’s standing in the other side of the room so her voice was echoing.

Emiya winced, face puzzled. “What not?”

“I, begging you, to hold back. Or something along the line.” She explained in earnestly and usually overly confidence. He frowned.

“I’m not fighting you, even if you were in perfect condition. It’s against the deal.”

“Even though I’m the one calling for it?” She wore a small smile, she found this weird sense of honor based on his heroic rationality rather funny.

The frown now even more deepened. “You don’t really think they’re going to let that happen, do you.” Rin shrugged aloofly.

“They will, since it means they’d get to know more about my power, and probably my current condition.”

“Then why are you doing this?”

Raven brow raised. “You led me into this room yourself, you know why.”

…

Unfortunately, she’s right.

He _did know_ why.

Emiya sighed, calloused hand massaging his temple over oh-so-familiar stubbornness of the woman in front of him, the stubbornness that he had been witnessing for one’s worth multiple lifetimes.

  
  
Emiya walked to a certain area of the sparring field, his subdued gaze dropped around her delicate yet sharp frame.

“Fine, but we’re still not fighting each other. It’s not fair for you. Since I’m a servant with almost unlimited regenerated energy, you’d probably run out of mana before I could even drop my guard.”

Rin shrugged again, her expression remained impassive. Of course, she isn’t here for a real fight. She isn’t a lunatic nor a scrapper. Plus, her condition didn’t progress much and still considered far from normal. She wouldn’t go as much as the length of beating magical creatures such like servants with her bare hands, just for _a piece_ of information.

“You can use whatever you’ve got, I will go unarmed.” He offered.

“Oh, is that how heroic spirits treat people nowadays?”

“If you haven’t noticed, you’re still recovering. I just offered it on your terms.” He grumbled with his low voice.

“By degrading me? No, thank you.”

“It’s not...” _Hard to please, as always._ “Alright, what do you have in mind?”

She pretended to be thinking. “Hmn... How about Archery?”

“Huh?”

“Archery, you have plenty of sparring space, I assume you’d have at least one good spot for practicing your shots,” She stopped on her feet, turning to face him. “Am I right?”

“But—” His sharp brows ceased, his face a little confused.

“But what?” Aquamarines glinted mischievously. “But because I suggest this to an Archer Classed servant such like yourself, suddenly, it becomes unbearable to accept the request?”

So she’s still good at messing with people, or should he say, him, specifically.

Seeing that the bowman has paused midway on his upcoming clap-back, Rin beamed a smile at the heroic spirit.

“...” Steel grays narrowed with a struggle between wanting to scold the heck out of her and just simply ignore her, he resisted the urge and did neither of them, as Rin inclined her head in amusement.

Having someone had the taste of their own medicine is one of her favorite hobbies, after all.

Watching the man finally understood how it felt to be belittled of, Rin eventually hummed in satisfaction, decidedly letting him go.

“Likewise,” She shrugged mindlessly, even though he had said nothing, yet. “and you’re very welcome.”

“Do you still want to fight?” He finally asked, sighing, his voice came out stained. “Or would you like it to be a real one?”

“You’re feeling played,” Rin smiled softly, her gaze genuinely acknowledged the internal conflict that slowly forming itself beneath his masked face. “I could say the same with this whole situation.”

After a long silence of staring contest, most parts of his brain have finally given up on forming any plans to retort back at her statement.

The magus let out a low chuckle upon seeing his reaction. His expression that seemed to say he wanted to hit her so badly but knew it well himself he couldn’t get out of it unharmed once he decided to do so was the best one she has seen so far.

“Fine, we can _compete_ , but on my terms, so we could be at least on the same ground,” He finally said, lips tugged down in defeated, before he tauntingly added. “and not feel like being looked down from one another.”

“Point taken,” Rin raised her hands up in a resigned manner, smiling lightly in her musings.

“I’ll use only regular bow, but that doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you. You could use your magic, but allowed only basic element kinds, or you could choose to use only Gandr, if you’re pleased.” He explained while holding a normal-looking bow in hand.

“And?” She flinched at the mention of her usually used curse spell, but didn’t say anything.

Emiya bared his hands. “And nothing, this is simply a fun competition. Not a real fight. Should there be anything else?”

Rin leaned in a bit closer, asking. “How about I get to know your identity?”

“...” Emiya took a step back involuntarily.

He should see that coming.

“If I win, which I definitely will,” Rin eyed at her opponent, observing him like a prey. “you tell me about yourself,”

“And if I win?” He returned, strolling back towards her as he refused to be worn down that easily.

“You mean if you luckily beat me to the competition?” Emiya’s face deadpanned, feeling something boiled up inside his stomach, the heroic spirit couldn’t wait to wipe that smug off her overly proud face. “Feel free to ask me anything about **everything** , so that we can say we play it fair and square.”

“You’re sure about that” She nodded. He made a turn to type something down the magical polygon screen near the entrance before nodding in return. “Good, whoever score to thirty first will be the winner, and our timer will be set after a count to three. You ready?”

Rin wet her lips, her shoulders tensed up as she angled her head to his direction. Solid blue gaze’s shining. Determined.

“You’re on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Phew, that was quite a long read, wasn’t it?
> 
> To my own defense, I didn’t intend for this chapter to be this long. And it was originally 30 pages long without the double-paragraphed format, to be exact, (Yes, seriously, why the hell am I never able to stop myself from keeping on?) that I decided to split it into two parts.  
> I’m sorry if it gets some of you confused. It won’t happen again I promise. (...can I keep it though? Sorry, I got all too much fun from writing the journey of our Ruby RinRin and her stubborn mage’s side.)
> 
> Harlan is an original character that I decide to add into another series that I already mentioned on the notes above, and is one of the few reliable friends Rin gets to have in that of Mages’ World. It just warmed my heart when I thought about Rin having some genuine connections with other mages in the association, though the friendship part wasn’t quite forged yet, I can assure you she will have more opportunities in the future.
> 
> I hope his appearance didn’t surprise you too much. He won’t play a big role in ‘In the nick of time’ (if not at all.) but he’d be an important ally for Rin in another part of my headcanons’ storyline. Along with the rest of the MA canon characters and some other added ons.
> 
> Sorry for the lack of Archer in this chapter :3 but he will appear more frequently after this part of story ends, I assure you!
> 
> Then, Until Next time.


End file.
